Moonshine, Mistakes, and the Morning After
by darkmystress00
Summary: Beth and Daryl have met, briefly. Each of them secretly harboring feelings for the other. What happens when a fun time at a party with friends leads to the most awkward morning after? non-ZA/AU
1. Chapter 1

Daryl peered over his cup through the thick fringe of dark brown hair that almost covered his eyes at the blonde across the room, laughing with her friends. Her voice was sweet, but never carried farther than it needed to, at least not with the music in the room drowning her out, but her laugh…her laugh floated through the air and always hit his ear like it was meant for him. He loved the sound of her laugh. Her name was Beth, and Daryl felt like the world's biggest creep for how much he noticed her in their brief and scattered interactions.

He'd first met her when his brother Merle had gotten wasted and hit on her friend; her very _taken_ friend. Her boyfriend had made a nice mess of Merle's face and Daryl had been impressed Merle had been able to walk away. When he'd slung Merle's arm over his shoulder, that was the first time he truly noticed the petite blonde. She'd hobbled around, trying to press a towel with some ice against a nice lump forming on Merle's forehead. Her hobbling had him wondering if she'd got caught in the cross fire, but when he'd apologized to her for his brother's antics she'd laughed that perfect tinkling little laugh and informed him she'd busted the heel off her shoe earlier in the evening and hadn't wanted to cut the outing with her friends short. Merle had been no trouble to her. It was that moment Merle decided to open his big fat mouth and call her something obscene (something referencing her ass maybe?) and ask if she wanted to come home with him and play doctor. Daryl felt his ears redden at the lewd way Merle had eyed her up and down but Beth had set him down gently; more gently than most girls would have given that he'd just gotten into a fight because he'd been hitting on her friend. Daryl had made a quick exit, realizing as he struggled to get Merle into his tiny apartment that he'd never asked for her name. He'd shrugged not thinking much about it, that is, until he was laying awake in his bed that night being haunted by silken waves of sunshine, crystal blue eyes and the most addictive tinkling laugh that floated through his head.

Two weeks later he'd been sitting in a booth at the only diner in town, minding his own business, when someone had slid into the booth across from him. He'd been about to tell that person to go kick rocks, but the words froze in his throat as he caught sight of sunshine colored hair, pulled up into a ponytail, and a troubled face staring back at him. Before he could even make himself seem concerned she'd whispered quickly across the table. "Please…just play along…" He'd been helpless to do anything but give her a tight quick nod. A boy, maybe a few years older than her walked up to the table, eyes only on her.

"Hey Beth." The boy had drawled and flashed a big grin at her. She looked unimpressed. "You left so quickly, I got worried."

"Yeah well, I told you I had somewhere to go. I was late." She'd ground out and Daryl instantly felt on the defensive, ready to jump up and make this punk leave. Why, he couldn't have explained, but he didn't like the edge in her voice that spoke to the fact that she was unbelievable pissed and uncomfortable with this guy around.

"Oh c'mon Bethy."

"Zach. I'm with a friend…you need to leave. When I'm done being pissed maybe I'll let you apologize." Zach's face had morphed to an irritated scowl.

"I have nothing to apologize for."

"Then you have no reason to be talking to me. You need to go." Before Zach could say anything else, Daryl rumbled from his seat (the first words he'd spoken since the confrontation began.)  
"That's time number two man. If she has to tell you a third time, you'll find yourself face first on the sidewalk outside." For the first time Zach studied Daryl and Daryl could see that the kid was trying to figure out if he could take him in a fight. Deciding against it, Zach turned an left with one last hard look at Beth. Beth had sighed and checked her watch. She looked up at Daryl.

"Thanks. Sorry to bug. You were the only face I recognized and I needed a quick escape." Daryl gave a snort.

"Yeah, well I guess I'm good for a quick escape." She'd given him a funny look before a soft tinkling giggle. He loved her giggle, and her laugh, and her voice. He liked listening to her talk. He watched as she scooted out of the booth and stood next to his table.

"Thanks again…" She paused, trying to remember his name.

"Daryl. Daryl Dixon." She smiled and extended her hand out to him.

"Beth. Beth Greene." They shook hands. "I'll see you around Daryl Dixon." And with that she left. She left him sitting in his booth wondering how she'd said his name so differently than everyone else, and wondering why he liked it so much. He wanted to hear her say it again.

They'd seen each other in passing, across rooms, in grocery stores, walking down streets. Never really enough to talk to each other but enough for Daryl to zero in on her and notice she had a great smile, and she seemed to constantly be smiling. He also noticed she knew people that he knew, which is how they came to be at the same get together, sipping drinks with him listening to her laugh across the room. He took another drink of the flat warm beer, grimacing at the flavor. It was shit beer, but he wasn't going to complain. He very rarely went out, unless it was to pick up Merle after a night of partying and drag his ass back home to sleep it off on Daryl's couch. Tonight, he was blessedly Merle free, and was currently working up the nerve to go talk to her as she let out another peel of laughter.

Beth was only half listening to her friends talk. She was too busy watching out of the corner of her eye as Daryl leaned quietly against the wall across the room. She'd hoped he'd come up and talk to her, but had, up to this point, been completely disappointed. He seemed to be the strong and silent type, at least that was the impression she had gotten the first time they'd met.

She's been out for a girl's night with Rosita and Tara, Rosita had brought her boyfriend which had thoroughly ruined the concept of 'girls' night but they'd decided to make the most of it, that was, until Merle Dixon had walked up to their little group and started hitting on Rosita. Clearly drunker than anyone could have imagined. Rosita had tried to shut him down, first nicely, then not so nicely, and it had spiraled out of control when Abraham, Rosita's boyfriend, had taken a swing and knocked Merle on his ass. All hell had broken loose, resulting in Rosita dragging Abraham away while Beth cleaned up Merle and Tara stole his phone to call the first (and really only) contact in his phone. Beth had had to ward off Merle's frisky hands until someone came to pick him up. That someone had been Daryl, and when Beth had clapped eyes on him, she'd felt her heart hammer into double time in her chest and her breathing had gone shallow. The man was gorgeous, unfortunately he didn't seem to notice her until she'd stumbled, due to her broken shoe (which she'd broken in the scuffle between Merle and Abraham) but she'd laughed it off and lied, hoping to make it seem like it was no big deal. Daryl had seemed to relax, but hadn't bothered to get her name as he all but dragged Merle to his car.

Beth had sighed and tried to put the man from her mind, and had almost succeeded until the day she'd gotten into it with the guy she'd been casually dating. Zach had been an ass, and Beth had been livid. She'd been talking about going back to school and studying music but Zach had just laughed at her and called the idea silly, since 'she was just going to wind up like her mama, a house wife raising kids.' Without thinking she'd stood up and walked away from the coffee shop they'd been sitting at. She heard Zach following her and had ducked into the diner, having recognized Daryl through the window as she passed. She'd sat down in a huff and before he could talk begged Daryl to just 'play along.' And he had. He hadn't had to say much but it had been enough to make Zach leave her alone. She'd been eternally grateful. As she left she'd smiled, having finally learned his full name and given him hers. _Daryl Dixon._

"Daryl Dixon…" Beth snapped back to her friends. They were all staring at her, knowing looks on their faces and she blushed having been caught day dreaming. "You back with us Beth?" Rosita asked. Beth's cheeks continued to burn red. Abraham glanced over his shoulder, arm slung around Rosita's shoulders, at Daryl who was leaning against the wall.

"You should just go talk to him." Abraham drawled and Beth shook her head.

"We don't really even know each other. The last time I spoke to him I crashed his lunch and he got rid of Zach for me." Rosita and Abe both frowned at the mention of the boy. He'd been bad news from the start and needless to say they were both glad to see him go. "It was really embarrassing." Rosita rolled her eyes and Abe dropped his arm from around her.

"Look, I work with the guy. I'll drag him over." Abe said before parting from the group and heading over to Daryl. Daryl watched, trying to act as disinterested as he could, as Abraham, a guy he knew from work, walked over to him. "Hey Daryl. Don't see you around much." Daryl grunted, looking down to his almost empty cup. He needed another drink. "Come on over. I wanna introduce you to my girl and her friends."

"I already know 'em." Daryl said quietly. When Abraham looked at him curiously. "You knocked my brother on his ass for hitting on your girlfriend a couple weeks back." When Abraham looked confused and then startled Daryl had to keep from laughing. "Nah. I'd have done the same damn thing honestly." Daryl shrugged a shoulder as Abe gave him a nod.

"Still. You can't be all mystery man over here in the darkness. Live a little…make some damn friends." Abe was teasing him, and Daryl knew it, but it was such a weird experience that they both kind of stared awkwardly down at their drinks until Daryl gave a little grunt and motioned for Abe to lead the way. When he joined the group Abe made with the introductions going around the circle and telling Daryl their names. There was Sasha, her brother (and fellow coworker) Tyreese, Tara, Rosita and finally…

"Beth…" Daryl said quietly before Abraham could introduce her. "I know Beth." The corner of Daryl's mouth threatened to turn up in the smallest hint of a smile when he noticed her cheeks tinting a bit red. "Did you ever stop being pissed and get that apology?"

"Nope." She said and grinned. "He knows better than to call me when I'm mad." Daryl gave a nod as if he understood, but truth be told he couldn't imagine Beth being mad, or even mildly annoyed. She was too bubbly and happy all the damn time to be mad. "How's your brother?" She asked as the conversation seemed to fall into an awkward lull.

"Eh, probably out getting knocked on his ass again. That's a pretty regular thing for him." Beth quirked an eyebrow but didn't say anything else. She looked down at her cup and noticed she was empty. "I'm empty." She held up her cup, shaking it a little as an explanation. "I'm gonna go get some more." And Daryl felt his gut sink at the thought that she was trying to get away from him. But of course…why wouldn't she? It wasn't like they were friends and he had absolutely no right to her time. He was just a dirty redneck who was probably too damn old for her anyway. "Want to come with?" She asked, stepping a little closer to him, into his personal space and he was suddenly hit by the scent of strawberries and sunshine that wafted from her wavy blonde hair. He took a moment to really study her in her little yellow sundress, jean jacket and brown cowboy boots. She looked, for all she was worth, fresh out of high school and barely legal to drive rather than old enough to drink, but he knew better. He gave her a shrug of one shoulder and the smile that lit up her face had his knees going weak. She grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the kitchen to get them both drinks, chatting the whole way.

"Think he knows she's into him?" Rosita asked as she watched her friend disappear into the kitchen.

"Not a chance." Tara responded. "Think she knows he's into her?"

"Like hell…" Abe said, sucking down the last of drink in his cup. "Those two have danced around this since they first met after I clocked Merle." Rosita looked at Abe.

"You told him it was you?"

"Yeah." He shrugged. "I knew he looked familiar when I decked him…put two and two together when Daryl told me he'd already met the group." Rosita nodded. "Didn't realize he's been mooning over Beth all this time. I'd've said something sooner if I had."

"No you wouldn't." Rosita quipped and Abe shrugged.

"You're probably right." They all grinned again.

~

"So Daryl…" Beth said as she pumped the keg and opened the tap into his cup. "How do you know Abe?" She handed him his cup and turned to pour something, not the beer from the keg, into her cup. She wasn't much of a drinker, and when she did drink she preferred it to be sweeter than beer.

"We work together. How do you know him?"

"Rosita. We went to school together a while back." He gave her a nod and she gave him a half smile. "You're not much of a talker are you?" He shook his head. "Didn't think so. My brother Shawn wasn't much of a talker. I mean, he was with family, but friends and people he just met, that was a whole other story." She took a sip of her drink and looked at him. Daryl couldn't help but notice she spoke about him in the past tense, but didn't know how to really bring up the subject. He didn't want to tread on memories which could have been painful for her still. She shrugged. "Now me…Daddy calls me a blabber mouth. Can chat to just about anyone." She said with a big grin at him, and it was in that moment that Daryl realized Beth Greene. The bubbly blonde he'd met when Merle had (luckily) decided to hit on her very spoken for friend, and the girl who he'd helped scare off a guy that wasn't being thoughtful with her, was drunk. Or at the very least she was tipsy.

"Is that so?" He asked, his deep voice rumbling to her and making her shiver.

"Yep."

"How much have you had girl?" And at that she promptly let out a giggle.

"Enough. I'm a big girl." She really wasn't as tipsy as he thought, but he gave her this swooping feeling in her tummy that spread up to her head and made her a bit dizzy and silly every time she saw him. "What are you my chaperone now, Mr. Dixon?"

"Not on your life." He gave her a rare grin and drank some of his beer. "Come on. I bet your friends think I walked off with you, caveman style." She giggled again and grabbed his hand, leading him back out to the room and their little group of friends.

~~~

Daryl popped his eyes open and groaned as sunlight flooded his vision. He snapped his eyes shut again and groaned, taking note that he was in bed. That was a good sign. He couldn't remember getting home last night, couldn't remember much after he'd joined Beth's little group of friends and they'd started laughing and talking. Everything started to blur. With a deep breath he squinted his eyes open again, the sun only slightly making his head throb. He stared at the ceiling before it registered in his fuzzy brain that…this was not his room. This was not his crappy little apartment. Slowly he turned his head, the sleep falling away and making him more aware. Nope definitely not his apartment. He was in a studio apartment, painted in light blues with sleek, dark wood furniture, and plush light brown couches. He heard a delicate throat clear and the blood in his vein froze. His eyes met with twin pools of blue across the room and he stiffened.

"Beth?"


	2. Chapter 2

"Beth?" Daryl's voice floated over to her where she was perched on the counter in her small kitchenette. She was wearing a pair of cotton sleep shorts and an oversized t-shirt. She'd thrown on her sleep clothes when she'd jumped from the bed after the shock of waking up wrapped around Daryl's warm body, almost completely naked save for her bra, which had one strap pulled down and the same cup was flipped upside down, baring one breast. She'd paced around the small apartment, not sure if she should wake him, let him sleep, make him breakfast, call him a cab. She had no idea. She'd had friends who had had one night stands, but she'd never done it herself, and was really at a loss as to what was proper protocol for the morning after. She'd frozen in her tracks at the idea that she had had a one-night stand with Daryl Dixon, man she'd been admiring from afar ever since she'd cleaned up his brother. She'd had a one night stand…and couldn't remember a damn thing!

As her stomach churned and embarrassment and awkwardness burned through her, she poured herself some orange juice into a mug and jumped up to sit on her kitchen counter to wait for him to wake up and face the music with her. She didn't have to wait long. A sharp intake of breath signaled Daryl's ascent into the land of the living and she steeled herself for what was to come. When his blue eyes met hers and confusion covered his whole face she felt herself melt just a little. He was just as confused as she was. All it took was her name, being someone whispered across the tiny space for her to jerk back to the situation at hand.

"Good morning." She said, trying to stay cheerful even though she wanted the ground to open up and swallow her whole. She could tell from the way he was squinting against the sunlight and how he kept his voice low that his head was probably killing him. "How's you head?" When he scrunched his eyes closed and touched a hand to one temple she hopped off the counter. "I'll get you some aspirin." She padded quickly to the bathroom and grabbed two pain killers and then grabbed a bottle of water from her fridge. As she pressed the pills into his hand she tried to stay calm. "I don't have any coffee made." She said softly. "But I can make some if you want?"

"Nah…I'll just." He shifted but refused to stand from the bed. Beth's cheeks warmed.

"Here…" She scooped up his clothes from the floor by the side of the bed, giving them a quick shake. She hadn't thought to pick them up and fold them when she woke up and now she felt ridiculous, handing him his clothes from the floor. "I'll just, um, go wait in the bathroom." She said while she fidgeted in front of him. "Just give a knock or a shout or something to let me know you're done." She turned on her heel and all but ran to the bathroom, pausing only long enough to grab some clothes out of her closet across from the bathroom.

When the bathroom door closed Daryl dropped his head into his hands. Oh man had he fucked up. Judging by the fact that he was in nothing but his drawers and an undershirt and Beth looked thoroughly mussed from more than just sleeping spoke to just how badly he'd messed up. And Daryl was mortified to find that he couldn't remember a single second of it. If he was going to have a one night fling, _and let's face it_ , a little voice that sounded exactly like Merle sneered in the back of Daryl's mind, _with a girl like that a thing like this could only be a one time fling. She's not gonna want some redneck with a bad last name darkening her doorway, much less her bed._ He would liked to have been able to remember the encounter. Judging by how quiet she had been all morning and how awkward everything had felt, she remembered, and didn't exactly seem thrilled to have woken to find him in her bed. _Why would she be?_ That little Merle voice taunted. With a grunt Daryl swung his legs over the side of the bed and pulled on his worn jeans and comfortable flannel. He was pulling on his boots when Beth poked her head out cautiously, calling out to see if it was ok for her to come out. He'd given a grunt and stood as she walked into the small living space.

She was dressed in a pair of light wash jeans, a few rips strategically placed over her thighs and knees, a flow grey tank top, and her signature brown cowboy boots. He bit on the edge of his thumb to keep himself from smiling or saying something stupid to further embarrass himself. She'd brushed her hair and it was swept into a low ponytail the curled and waved over her right shoulder. His fingers itched to run through her hair and see if it really was as soft as it looked. He was sure he'd touched her hair, but once again, this was one of the details the eluded his befuddled and hungover mind. She fidgeted in front of him, her fingers hooking into her front pockets before popping back out and sliding into her back pockets. "Well, I'll just…" He motioned to the front door.

"Do you wanna get breakfast?" She rushed out before he could make his exit. "I don't have much here, but we could hit up the diner. It's not much, but…" He looked at her, his eyes sweeping up and over her. Hell yeah he wanted to do breakfast with her. In his current state he wanted to go back to bed and see if they could remember anything from last night, but that was just wrong of him to feel that way.

Beth nibbled on her lip, waiting for him to make up his mind. She hoped he'd want to do breakfast with her. She hoped he wanted to get to know her better, just like she wanted to get to know him. She hoped this wouldn't be just a one time thing, and that maybe…just maybe the next time she'd be able to remember it. She would be lying if she'd said she felt ashamed at her actions. She honestly only felt only slightly embarrassed, but more upset at the fact that she'd, apparently, had a great time last night and couldn't remember a single moment of it. That was a lie. She vaguely remembered a kiss, at her front door, but even that was hazy and jumbled and seemed more like a dream sequence than a real experience. He gave her a shrug and a nod and a big grin split her lips. Again her grin made his insides go all warm and his legs go a little wobbly but he paid it no mind. _Darylina!_ The voice taunted in the back of his mind. "Great. Let me grab my keys and we can head out." She snatched her keys off the counter and turned to him, leading him out of the apartment and down the street to the diner.

They sat in a booth and browsed the menu, neither one of them really knowing what to say to the other. Finally she snapped her menu down onto the table and looked at him. "How much of last night do you remember?" Her cheeks were red and her eyes wouldn't meet his when he looked up at her. He felt the tips of his ears start to burn and was annoyed to find that he was blushing.

"Uhm…I dunno. Not much." He admitted and saw her eyes flick up to his, surprise in her gaze.

"Really?" He nodded before he began to chew on the side of his thumb, a nervous habit he'd developed as a child and one he hadn't been able to get rid of. "Me either." She said softly. "I remember, the party. Laughing with Rosie, Abe, Tara…the group." He nodded to show he remembered that as well. "Then I kind of remember us all piling into Tara's car for food…" He stared at her blankly. The waitress came, took their order and placed two cups of water down on the table between them. Once she'd left Beth began again. "Ok, you don't remember food…then I remember…" She blushed images of a kiss flashing before her mind. She could almost feel his lips pressed against hers, his hands on her hips, sliding around to her back to press her closer to him, the door jamb pressing lightly into her spine as his solid form pressed against her front. She took a sharp breath. "We kissed." Daryl choked on some water that he'd been drinking at that announcement.

"Hell girl, what are ya tryin' ta do? Kill me?" She frowned slightly. "Sorry." His face heated up. "I mean, I know we kissed…you don't wake up in someone else's bed unless there was kissing involved." He said honestly. She gave him a nod that said she agreed with him. "I don't remember…" He paused her soft voice drifting through his mind. _Will you walk me up, Daryl?_ "I remember getting to the building and you asking me to walk you up." He said and the guilt set in. He knew she was in no condition for anything they'd done last night before he'd even really started to drink. He should have been the responsible one and said no, or some shit like that. He ran a hand through his hair. Her frown grew deeper.

"Stop it." She said quickly and caught his eye. "This was not your fault. I was just as much a part of this as you were."

"But…"

"No. I'm a big girl and I made decisions last night. You don't get to feel guilty because I came on to you." She jumped as the waitress came and set their food down in front of them. She blushed prettily and picked up her fork to start eating without looking up at the waitress who was trying very hard not to look interested or like she wanted to laugh. Daryl threw a glare at the waitress as she walked away and started eating his food. Breakfast was quiet until Beth paused. "You don't happen to carry condoms do you? Like in your wallet or pocket or something?" Her voice was almost too quiet. Like she was afraid of the answer. And the moment those words hung in the air he understood why. His deep blue eyes met hers and before he spoke she already knew the answer.

"No…" she bit her lip. She needed to go to the pharmacy and get something…just in case. "You don't have…" He didn't need to finish that sentence. She shook her head.

"Don't worry. I'll go by the pharmacy." She said quietly, twisting her napkin in her hands. The blood in his veins stopped. He'd never considered that aspect of their 'wild' night.

"Well, shit." He muttered. "M sorry." He muttered.

"No. Neither one of us was thinking clearly. And besides…I don't think…I mean…" He could hear the embarrassment in her voice. "I don't think it's the right time for _that_ to happen." She looked at him, willing him to understand her meaning and he did. Loud and clear. "It's just a precaution." She said quickly. He nodded his understanding.

"I can go with you. If ya want?" He don't know why he offered but now he had and he wasn't going to take it back. She smiled at him.

"No. That's ok." She smiled sheepishly. "I'm going to throw on a big hat and some sunglasses and go incognito." He snorted.

"There is no way you wouldn't stand out no matter what you wore." She looked at him curiously. "You're too damn pretty for your own good." She looked shocked at that confession and truthfully he felt about as shocked as she looked. Before he could open his mouth and say anything else embarrassing he shoved a big bite of toast into his mouth and chewed vigorously. There was no way she could take that as anything other than a compliment and a big flashing sign that said 'I'm interested!' and he was not about to get turned down flat in a diner after a one night stand that he couldn't remember. He wanted to at least keep that part of his dignity intact. He looked away, feeling her eyes boring into his skull.

"Thanks, Daryl." Beth couldn't believe what she was hearing. Daryl Dixon…just said she was too damn pretty. She would have done a happy dance if she had been standing. She didn't think a compliment had meant so much to her in her entire life. She bit her lip. She didn't want this to be a one off thing. She wanted to get to know him. She wanted to be around him. She wanted to be with him, over and over again until she couldn't remember any thing else. Now, the question was, how did she get him to agree that this didn't have to be a one time gig? She had the feeling that if she didn't solidify something before he left the diner he'd do his damnedest to avoid her for the rest of their lives, and she was not going to have that. "Look…" She started slowly. "I know we were never really close…before, but maybe we could, I dunno…try to be friends? I mean it's not like we have to let it get weird right? We don't have weird memories or feelings to deal with this way…so we can be…I dunno." She paused and caught his eye. "We could be friends." She sounded so unsure and hated it, but this was her going out on a limb and offering the olive branch. He seemed to be rolling the idea through his head, weighing his options before he nodded once.

"I'll be your friend. If that's whatcha want." He offered slowly, like every word cost him. She had no idea how hard it was for him to say that sentence. Her face broke into the biggest, brightest smile he'd ever seen. He smiled back at her (if you could call the tipping of the corners of his mouth smiling) and it made her tummy swoop and flutter like a million butterfly wings.

"Why Mr. Dixon." She said playfully. "That's exactly what I want." She held up her water like a toast, "To friends." He smirked at her and tapped his glass to hers.

"To friends."


	3. Chapter 3

Beth pulled her hood down over her head a little farther, and secured her big dark sunglasses on her face before she walked up to the pharmacy counter. She knew the pharmacist but prayed that they wouldn't recognize her. If they did no one commented and there were no judging looks to make her uncomfortable as she forked out her cash and grabbed the little box from on top of the counter.

The trip back to her apartment was quick and she was safely back inside when she popped open the box and secured the pill in her hand. Downing it with have a glass of water and tried to hide the evidence in the bottom of her trashcan, feeling silly since it was her apartment. She set about tidying up, even though there wasn't much that was a mess. She looked at her bed and sighed. It was time for her to wash her sheets, her weekly ritual that she did every Saturday, if not Sunday. She was a stickler for clean sheets (and this urge to clean her sheets had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that Daryl's scent was all over her bedding and would drive her crazy when she was laying there by herself) so she set about stripping down her bed. When it came to her pillows she paused and picked up the one Daryl had slept on. With a quick glance around her empty apartment she buried her face into it and inhaled the deep woodsy scent that seemed to cling to his skin.

A sharp knock sounded on her door and she dropped the pillow back on her bed. Cautiously she walked over to her door and pulled it wide, showing Rosita standing there, two coffees in her hands and big goofy grin on her face. "Good morning sunshine!" She chirped a little too loudly and Beth just grinned at her.

"Good morning." Rosita peered past her into the apartment and frowned. Beth followed her gaze but all she noticed was that her apartment was clean, save for the pile of clothes and bedsheets she needed to wash in the middle of the floor. "What?" Rosita shook her head.

"Nothing. I just thought he'd still be here." Beth look confused.

"What do you mean?"

"Daryl. I didn't picture him being the run out at the crack of dawn type." Beth blushed brightly and pulled her friend into the apartment, shutting the door before she could say anything else.

"He didn't run out at the crack of dawn." Beth hissed as she took one of the coffees and set it on the counter. "We…I mean…that is…wait. You knew he was here and you showed up to catch him in the act?" Beth narrowed her eyes at her friend.

"Of course I knew he was here. I was in the car when we dropped you off." Beth reddened.

"So you just let me take a random guy up to my apartment to do…you know…"

"First of all, he's not just a random guy. He's Daryl. Hello! Daryl the guy who came and picked up his brother from the bar after he hit on me The guy that played along to help you get rid of creeper Zach. The guy you have been secretly, or really not so secretly, pining for for a good long while." Beth pursed her lips but continued to stare at her friend. "And secondly, you are a big girl and can definitely make your own decisions. There is nothing wrong with that. And besides -"

"Daddy would be so disappointed." Beth cut in with a sigh.

"You don't have to tell him. You don't have to tell anyone. Hell the only reason I know is because I was there. You have no reason to have to tell anyone anything. You don't owe it to anyone." Beth took a deep breath and walked with her friend towards the pile of clothes on the floor.

"True. I've just…I've never done anything like this." Rosita stared at her friend before something caught her eye. She peered into the trashcan and let out a snort.

"You got the morning after pill?" Beth groaned and sat on her bed, her head sinking into her hands. This was so embarrassing.

"Well, I couldn't find…anything." She finished lamely. Rosita burst out laughing and Beth just felt worse. "You could be a little more sensitive." She griped.

"I'm sorry, no you're right." Rosita took a drink from her coffee. "At least you're being careful." Beth could tell Rosita wanted to laugh again, but couldn't for the life of her work up the energy to care or get mad. Rosita was being uncharacteristically nonchalant about this, but then again, maybe Beth was over-thinking everything. "So…what was it like?" Rosita had a look of understanding in her eyes but Beth didn't think she really could understand.

"Well…you see…I don't…" Rosita quirked an eyebrow, sitting down on the bed next to Beth. "I don't exactly remember. It's all just blank." Beth said just above a whisper. "I remember the party, then I remember piling into your car and going to get food, though that's a bit fuzzy." She thought for a moment more. "That's about it. I barely remember kissing him…but that feels more like a dream rather than a memory with how fuzzy and blurry it is. Then there's nothing. I woke up this morning half naked and wrapped around Daryl in my bed." Beth toed the pile of sheets.

"Is that why you're washing your sheets? To try to get rid of the evidence?" Rosita asked worried. Was Beth more troubled by the situation than she was letting on? Beth let out a quick sharp laugh.

"Not even. I just felt it was safer to wash my sheets then sleep in the bed with Daryl's scent all over it and my very good imagination." She looked to Rosita. "Rosie, I am not embarrassed I slept with Daryl Dixon. I'm upset I can't remember it." Rosita just stared at her. "I got him to agree to by my friend." Beth confided. "I had a feeling if I didn't, that he'd avoid me after he left, and I didn't want that." She smiled to herself.

"You like Daryl Dixon!" Rosita said in a sing-song voice, imitating the annoying song girls would sing on the playground at school when they were both in grade school. "You like Daryl Dixon! You like Daryl Dixon." Beth grinned at her friend.

"Yes ma'am I do. And I think he might like me," she continued. "so we're both going to become friends…and if I can make sure that this isn't a one time thing…well then I'm going to do everything I can to make sure."

"Oh Beth! Look at you, walking on the wild side!" Rosita teased and Beth stuck her tongue out like the adult she was. "About damn time. I worry about you. You're twenty one years old, almost twenty two and the worst thing you'd ever done was before this was sleep through one of your morning classes. I'm proud of you! Give me a little more time and you'll be a wild child in no time!" Rosita teased.

"Let's not get too carried away." Beth pleaded. "I'm going way out of my comfort zone here. I'm pacing myself." Rosita nodded.

"If it helps, I can have Abe talk to him. They do work together." Beth shook her head. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. If I'm going full wild child. I gotta do this on my own." Rosita smiled at her. "Come on. Help me get the sheets in the washer and then we can hang out and talk, unless you're on your way to meet Abe?"

"No. He's working…probably covering for Daryl since he was here all night. We weren't as far gone as you two were so he didn't have a hang over when he woke up."

"He's working on a Saturday?"

"Yeah. It's overtime but they're under pressure to get the build done, so everyone is supposed to be on sight today." Rosita noticed Beth looked concerned, most likely about Daryl and how he was currently playing hooky from work because of her. "I'm sure he'll be fine. I can text Abe to see if he can cover for him?" Beth bit her lip before giving a quick nod, and watched as Rosita pulled out her phone and sent off the message. It only took a moment for her phone to buzz back. "Huh…Daryl made it into work after all. Abe says he's dragging ass like crazy but he's there and not puking." Rosita grimaced at his words. "Those were his words, not mine." Beth shook her head.

"Well, that's good, I guess." The girls giggled and Beth stooped down to scoop up her laundry. "Come on. Let's go down to the laundry room so we can get to having our girl's day." Rosita nodded and picked up the few things that spilled to the floor and followed Beth out of the apartment.

~~~

Daryl let out a grumble from where he stood, hammer in hand, as the hammering of the nails into the structure triggered his headache. He heard a whistle from behind him and grimaced as he saw Abe behind him, carrying a load of insulation that was to be put up in the walls they were currently constructing. Abe and Daryl worked for the same construction company, and it was this morning that Daryl had been really grateful for that fact. He'd remembered, belatedly, that he had work that day when he and Beth had parted ways. He'd hauled ass to the site, glad that he had a set of extra work clothes in his car, which he found at the site of the party from the night before. It was one of the few times he was glad he lived in such a small town. You could pretty much walk to anywhere in town, and if you couldn't walk buses took you everywhere else.

Daryl had slid into work, an hour and a half late, and was ready to have his foreman run him through the ringer. When the man simply said "Glad to see your brother is gonna be ok." Daryl had looked at him like he'd lost his mind but muttered a quiet "Yeah." as he walked away. He still had no idea what that was all about, but staring at Abe he suddenly was suspicious. "Why was Rick talking about Merle when I showed up late?"  
"Oh. When he noticed you were late I explained that Merle had gotten into it pretty bad last night and you were making sure he was alright. You'd probably be in late." Abe supplied and grinned at him. "Figured you needed someone to cover for you since you got pretty messed up last night and never made it back to the car." Daryl felt his ears burn and flicked his eyes up to land on Abe. "Atta boy!" Abe grinned. Daryl shook his head.

"Knock it off. It ain't like that." Daryl said quietly.

"What do you mean? Did you hit it or not?" Daryl rolled his eyes.

"Yeah…I mean. I think."

"What do you mean you think?"

"Means I can't remember shit about last night." He said quietly, trying not to draw attention to them and their private conversation. "I remember the party, and then I kinda remember getting to her apartment, but then nothin'. It's all a big black." Abe looked at him and Daryl couldn't shake the feeling that the man pitied him.

"You tapped that, and don't remember a damn minute of it? You, my friend, are an unfortunate soul." Abe clapped him on the back and shook his head.

"Tell me about it. A one time thing, and I get too wasted to remember it." Abe looked him up and down.

"Who says it has to be a one time thing?"

"There is no way Beth is going to want a repeat. She's the kind of girl that wants dates and promises and commitments." Daryl gave a light shrug. "She's not going to settle for anything less and we all know I ain't that kind of man." Abe narrowed his eyes at Daryl. He opened his mouth as if to speak but snapped it shut. "What?" Abe shook his head and turned to start moving the insulation he brought up. "No, bullshit. What?"

"I'm just thinking…Beth is a good girl, and maybe you need a taste of that to keep your head on straight." Abe said roughly. "She could be good for you." With a quick glance over his shoulder back at Daryl. "I'm just saying, don't assume something you don't know." Daryl fidgeted a bit, chewing on the edge of his thumb. Maybe it didn't have to be a one time thing? Abe was dating Rosita who was one of Beth's closest friends. Maybe he knew something.

"Yeah whatever." Daryl muttered not wanting to get his hopes up. He'd see. He did agree to be Beth's friend. Maybe she wasn't as closed off to the idea as he originally thought? He'd just have to see.


	4. Chapter 4

Beth tinkered with her phone as she sat on her couch. Tonight she was supposed to go to Tara's house for a movie night, but she was hesitating because she knew exactly how everything as going to happen tonight. How it always happened when there was a movie night at Tara's house. Tara and her girlfriend, Alisha, would cuddle up on the couch, Rosita and Abraham would take up the floor with all the extra blankets and pillows, and Beth would be left by herself, with a lonely bowl of popcorn to take up the remaining space on the love-seat. Normally this situation wouldn't bother her, but for the past couple of months it had been eating at her. That was part of the reason she'd started casually dating Zach. She'd hoped to have someone to bring to movie night so that she wouldn't feel so left out. She wanted to have someone that made her feel like Rosita did around Abe, or like Tara did around Alisha. They both lit up and Beth wanted that.

She bit her lip as her phone buzzed signaling she'd gotten a text. She read it quickly and smiled. She'd texted Tara asking if she could invite Daryl tonight, and Tara had responded with a big winking face. Beth knew what that meant and just grinned. It wasn't like that, but Beth wasn't going to correct her. Beth scrolled through her contacts, her eyes settling on the new entry she'd found two days ago. _Daryl Dixon_. The name seemed to shine up at her extra bright and it made her grin. She didn't remember putting his name and number into her phone, but that must have been something he'd done on their forgotten night.

Without thinking about it, because she knew she'd psyche herself out if she thought about what she was doing, she pushed the call button and listened to her phone ring. She heard Daryl's confused voice on the other end and reveling in the shiver that traveled up her spine. "Beth?" He questioned into the phone.

"Hi." She said quickly. She could hear sounds in the background that told her he was at work. "I'm sorry." She blurted out quickly. "Are you busy? I can call back."

"Nah, I got a second. What's up, girl?"

"I was wondering…would you wanna watch a movie with me tonight? Tara's having a movie night and…I just…I thought…" She trailed off, trying to find a way to explain without it sounding like a date, or like she was using him as an escape. The silence on the other end was achingly long. "I mean, you don't have to, if you don't want. I just thought…"

Daryl looked around, feeling heat climb up his neck to his face. Abe's words were zinging through his head as he tried to grasp the fact that Beth was inviting him to spend time with her. He watched a couple of the guys on site as they moved materials around, trying to come up make her words make sense. There was no way Beth wanted to spend time with him. Not after…

"Yeah. I'll go tonight." His mouth moved, and sound came out before he could think better of it. The words hung thick and heavy in the air. A heartbeat passed, and then two before he heard Beth's soft breath into the phone.

"Really?" She squeaked, almost as if she'd expected him to turn her down. Like he would ever do that. He grunted into the phone and heard her smile in her voice when she spoke. "Ok. Then do you want to meet here about six thirty? We'll pick up pizza on the way over to Tara's. Or, you could meet me there. I'll have to send you her address." She sounded unsure, and honestly it sounded adorable. The girl didn't have a damn thing to be unsure about and the fact that she was as off-kilter as he felt helped to put him at ease.

"I'll head to your place." He said gruffly. "Six thirty." He questioned, though it sounded more like a statement than a question. She hummed into the phone and he had to force himself not to smile. "Alright. Six thirty it is."

"I'll see you then." He gave her a quick 'mm' before they both hung up the phone. Daryl felt his lips twitch into the smallest of a smile. He didn't know what he'd done to make this pale ray of sunshine notice him and want to spend time with him, but whatever it was he wasn't going to snub a gift. He wasn't stupid to think he'd have any kind of chance with Beth, but he had agreed to at least be her friend, right? Abe noticed him standing there with a silly grin on his face and gave him a playful shove.

"Best get to it Dixon, or you wont be able to make movie night." Daryl shot him a look questioning how in the hell he knew Beth had called and invited him and Abe just chuckled. "You said her name." He supplied. "Rosita and me are going to movie night too." Daryl nodded. So this was just spending time with friends, he could work with that.

Beth let out a breath, a hand going over her beating heart. That had been nerve wracking, but she'd made it out unscathed. He'd agreed to come! She giggled to herself. She was working herself up into a fit for no good reason. This was Daryl. He had yet to do anything to make her feel silly or like she was bothering him. Still, it was nice that he agreed to come along. He didn't have to spend time with her and her friends. He had every right to tell her get lost, but something in her gut told her that Daryl would never do that. She smiled and, barely, resisted the urge to skip over to her closet to get ready.

~~~

Beth shifted in her seat next to Daryl as the movie played. Things were not going as she had planned, but then again she hadn't really planned on not feeling sure of herself. When she'd heard the knock on her door the butterflies had started, and they'd never stopped, not once all night. She'd opened the door and smiled her biggest brightest smile, hoping to hide her nerves. Looking at Daryl made her already fluttery tummy do flip flops and made her cheeks heat up. He looked all sorts of good in a pair of dark jeans and a flannel with the sleeves pushed up to his elbows. His dark hair still hung into his eyes but it gave him a rough edge to his look that made Beth a little weak in the knees.

They'd walked over to Tara's place, it wasn't far at all anyway, picking up a couple pizzas on the way (it was Beth's turn to buy the food). When they'd gotten to Tara's the awkward feeling seemed to skyrocket. Everyone was nice, and no one commented on the new development, but everyone seemed to give her that look. The look that wasn't quite blatant but made her cheeks burn all the same. She'd tried to get the movie started quickly so that they would at least focus on that rather than on her, but as soon as everyone sat down, she'd been faced with yet another awkward sensation. Daryl sat on the love-seat with her, in the spot to her left, and as far away from her as possible. Not an inch of him was touching her, and she didn't know if she was allowed to change that. So she'd sat, baring the first third of the movie, in an awkward state of limbo. Wanting to lean back and against the warm man sitting next to, but unsure if that sort of thing was allowed between "friends". She didn't want to make him uncomfortable.

With a sigh she stiffened her resolve and gently scooted back, her back resting against his side. She waited for him to ask her what the hell she was doing or tell her to move back over, but it never came. She'd stiffened when his arm moved but couldn't help the grin that split her face when his arm settled on the the back of couch, allowing her to rest more firmly against him.

Daryl held his breath as he watched, from the corner of his eye as Beth scooted closer to him and then leaned back against him, her soft golden hair brushing his shoulder and wafting the most tantalizing smell into his face. He'd been about ten seconds away from pulling her back against him when she'd shifted all on her own. He shifted his arm to the back of the couch, purely for selfish reasons. He wanted to feel her pressed more closely to him. When she settled back into the nestle of his body, his arm slipped down to settle around her shoulders, and his stomach flipped in a way the he wasn't going to admit to or analyze.

Beth stared at the screen, willing herself to focus on the movie, but failing miserably as she followed the movement of Daryl's thumb along her arm. She couldn't pinpoint when exactly he had started stroking her arm, but now that she'd noticed she couldn't tear her focus away. She was half sure he didn't even realize he was doing it. She heard hi chuckle behind her, lowly in his throat, and reveled in the way it vibrated down her spine and turned to heat that settled in her belly. She was out of control. She wanted to climb into his lap and kiss him, but knew that that would result in the worst sort of humiliation. Her head lolled back and rested against his shoulder and she was surprised (yet again) at the feel of him leaning his head down and resting his chin against the crown of her head.

Beth suddenly wished the movie would never end.

~~~

Beth shrugged into her jacket as they left Tara's house and stared at Daryl. He'd been very quiet since the movie had ended and he'd realized he was basically wrapped around her petite form. He'd quickly disentangled himself and refused to meet her eyes, or the eyes of her friends. He felt awkward. He liked being wrapped around her, and he liked having her pressed against him, that was no lie, but his little voice whispered in the back of his mind that there was no way a dirty redneck like him deserved to have this. No way sweet little Beth understood what she did to him. Daryl felt like he needed to say something, but he lacked the real understanding of what to say, so they walked back to Beth's apartment in silence.

Beth turned to him a couple times during the walk opening her mouth like she wanted to say something but nothing ever came out. Before she could work up the courage they were back at her apartment door, staring at the green door and brass letters nailed onto the front. She turned to him and he swallowed a grin, keeping his face impassive, at seeing her cheeks slightly flushed. "I had fun tonight." She said quickly, a smile tugging at her lips as she looked up at him. "Thanks for coming along." She paused, "I know that's not your sort of thing, and I'll completely understand if you don't want to do it again…"

Daryl's brain stopped functioning after that, when she stretched up to press her lips to his in a chaste kiss. At least that was what it had started out as. She'd pressed herself against him as her hands came up to thread through his hair, turning the kiss decidedly more passionate and less chaste. Daryl's hands came to her hips and he felt himself press her even closer to him. She pulled him back, and leaned against the door, groaning as she felt him pressing into her lower belly. Heat pooled low in her belly and she knew she wanted him, and knew it would only take her opening the door and she could have what she wanted. But she didn't want him now to have him regret or push her away in the morning, so she was stuck.

Daryl broke the kiss gently, pressing his forehead to hers, eyes tightly squeezed shut, and panting lightly. He needed to get a hold of himself, otherwise he'd do something they'd both regret. He heard her murmur his name and opened his eyes to look at her, smirking at the way her crystal blue eyes were darkened with desire.

"Daryl…" Her voice was breathless and low, betraying both her nerves and the fact that she wanted him. "I-I…I don't want to be a one time thing." He looked at her closely and couldn't believe his ears.

"Beth…"

"Look, I'm not saying we have to go out and get married…" She wanted to giggle at the way his eyes widened and his face paled. "But I would like to get to know you better."

"You want me t'be your boyfriend, girl?" His voice was gruff and snippy, and Beth had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep her resolve firm.

"I want you to be what ever you want to be." He studied her. She had no idea how badly he wanted to say yes. No idea how much he liked the idea of belonging to her and her belonging to him, but the term boyfriend seemed so childish and silly for a grown ass man like him. God, he wanted her. He wanted her curled up at his side watching movies. He wanted her flushed and panting like she was now. He wanted her all the ways in between as well. He knew it was foolish and stupid. There was no way this was ever going to work out. It would hurt like hell when it ended, but he'd be damned if he was going to pass up on this just because of a little pain when it ended. And he knew it would inevitably end.

Slowly he leaned down and kissed her one more time, loving the way she seemed to melt against him. "Fine by me." He rumbled out. It wasn't a declaration of love, but Beth would take it.

When he parted from her, she stared at him confused. He smirked down at her and shrugged a shoulder. "Not tonight Greene. Don't want you to think I'm easy." He teased. She couldn't help herself as the laughter bubbled up out of her. She smiled at him and shook her head. "I got a delicate reputation to uphold." He continued. Daryl Dixon was teasing her, joking and playing with her. She loved every second of it.

"Well, I definitely wouldn't want to offend your delicate sensibilities." She teased back and he snorted. "So I'll see you around?" He nodded. "More often than not, right?"

"You askin' me to move in?" He quirked a brow at her.

"God, no. Your reputation remember?" He smirked at her. "But I'm not a booty call either." She said, a seriousness he hadn't heard in her voice before. It made him pause.

"I know that girl." He frowned at her slightly. How could she even think that? He shrugged a shoulder and shook his head. "I ain't never gonna think that." His face was was serious and Beth knew, deep in her gut, that he was telling the truth. He'd never look at her like that and it made her feel better.

"Alright. Then…I guess I'll let you leave so you can, you know…save that delicate reputation." She grinned at him and he nodded.

"Night, Greene." He rumbled before he turned to go back down the hall towards the stairs.

"Goodnight, Mr. Dixon."


	5. Chapter 5

Daryl dusted off his hands and pants as he gathered his tools and readied himself to leave the construction site. He picked up his bag, stuffed to the seams with tools, and made his way out of the almost finished structure. The client was going to be happy. They were ahead of schedule and were going to be finished within the week. As Daryl punched out and made his way to his car he noticed his brother leaning against the gate next to where he'd parked. "Howdy baby brother." Merle called as Daryl walked near him. "Haven't seen ya in a while. Wanted to check in on ya." Daryl took a deep breath.

"No you didn't, Merle." Daryl muttered, unlocking the trunk and tossing his tools inside. "What do you want?" Merle scowled at him.

"Now, is that any way to greet your older brother?" Daryl just stared at him, crossing his arms over his chest. "C'mon baby brother. Let's head to your place so you can clean up and then we'll go out on the town tonight." Merle grinned down at Daryl as Daryl moved to unlock his door.

"Can't Merle. I got work tomorrow. Gotta get up early and I can't be hung over or in jail when the sun rises." Daryl climbed into his car, intent on just going home, until Merle slid into the passenger's seat beside him.

"Oh c'mon Darylina. Don't pussy out on me now." Merle taunted. He'd always known how to get under Daryl's skin. Before Daryl could respond his phone rang. He checked the caller I.D. grimacing as he noticed it was Beth calling. It had become a habit for either one of them to call when Daryl got off work and talk. And by talk, really she chattered away into the phone while he listened and grunted at appropriate times. He loved to listen to her voice, but he found he usually had nothing to contribute to the conversation, so him being silent was not an unusual occurrence. He clicked the silence button and shoved his phone away, hoping that Merle had missed the name and the implications. He hadn't…of course. "Is that that piece you nailed the other day and were too stupid to make sure you remembered the next day?" Daryl grit his teeth. Of course Merle had found out. How he found out Daryl would never know because he sure as hell never told him, but he had, and Daryl had yet to live it down. Merle let out a whistle when Daryl didn't answer. "She calling you back for seconds?" Merle gave him a dirty grin. "You better tap that and remember it little brother or we're going to have issues." Merle made some crude motions and sounds beside him, and Daryl couldn't stomach the implications.

"It ain't like that." Daryl grumbled, his eyes never leaving the road.

"Oh come now baby brother, you ain't gotta hide it from your brother Merle. I bet she likes it dirty too. A girl that looks that sweet, is just begging to be naughty when no ones looking." Merle licked his lips. "I wouldn't mind giving it a go, if you're game. When you're done with her, of course. 'Cause once she's had ol' Merle…well there just ain't no going back." The smile that spread over Merle's face was positively lecherous and made Daryl's stomach turn. He'd die before he handed Beth over to his brother. Not that she was his to hand over…but the thought just made him sick.

"Dammit Merle. I told you, it ain't like that!" Daryl yelled, his anger burning low inside him. Merle's smile fell and he stared at Daryl, a kind of cold anger coming over him as well. "She isn't some toy that can be passed around. She isn't some whore you picked up at a bar because you promised her drugs and a good time." Daryl seethed. "She's a good person." Merle listened quietly and Daryl knew the storm had only just begun.

"Well, Darylina! I never thought I'd see the day that you were pussy-whipped by a piece of tight ass." Daryl grit his teeth, knowing if he said anything it would only give his brother more fuel. "That's what it is, isn't it? You got a piece and in order to keep tappin' it you had to hand over your balls on a silver platter." Merle sneered at his brother. "I bet she's the reason you don't go out no more huh? Tried to put you on the straight and narrow so you fit in with her pretty little life."

"Merle just…stop." Daryl said tiredly. He didn't want to listen to this. "You got no clue what you're talkin' about."

"The hell I don't. You don't go out no more, you don't spend no time with your big brother Merle, you just stay home, and pine after a piece of ass that you know is way too good for the likes of a Dixon." Daryl briefly contemplated whether he could shove Merle out of the car and take off without people noticing, but given how crowded the streets were, and the fact that everyone knew his car, everyone in town would probably know before he pulled up to his place. "Tell me baby brother. Did you tell her all your deepest darkest secrets? Does she know what it really means to have Dixon for the last name, or what it means to let a dirty Dixon lay his hands all over her, to admit she likes it?" Merle scoffed. "I'll bet you haven't because you know exactly what it will mean. She'll drop you faster'n a hot cake because even a whore in a bar lookin' for some drugs and a good time is better'n anythin' you or me is ever gonna be." And there it was. The dark ugly truth that floated around the back of Daryl's mind day in and day out. Daryl stopped his car roughly outside his apartment building.

"Get out Merle." Daryl's voice was low and defeated, but Merle just stared him down, showing him that he would do what he pleased when he was good and damn ready. Daryl got out of the car and walked towards his apartment.

"Don't forget Daryl," Merle called out, and Daryl froze on the stairs, not turning around to face his brother who knew exactly what to say to tear him down and make him remember that no matter what he did he couldn't escape what it meant to be a Dixon. He just listened, his gut churning and twisting with each passing moment as dark thoughts and memories floated in front of his eyes. "You're a Dixon, and ain't no pussy in the world is ever gonna change that." Daryl took a breath, feeling defeated. "You let this woman make you believe you can change that and all you're doing is letting her make you a pet. A pet she's got control of by the balls, and that is no position any Dixon will ever let themselves get into." And with that he turned and stalked down the street to the nearest bar, and his next score of both drugs and a piece of ass. Daryl stood on the step for so long, he wondered if it was too late to turn and find Merle and give him a good fist to the face before getting shit-faced with him. Daryl let out an angry rumble as his phone rang, Beth's name flashing on the screen, and he trudged up the stairs to his crappy apartment. He let her call go to voicemail. Once inside he hopped into the shower, hoping the scalding hot water would burn away the pain that Merle's words had caused to surge through him. He hoped his troubles and fears would flow down the drain, but the more he thought about it, the more his mood darkened.

He _was_ a Dixon, and Beth _was_ too good for him, and he knew it. He got out of the shower and grabbed a beer out of his fridge, dropping down on his couch. His phone chimed again and he glared at it before picking it up. He answered it and was met with Beth's concerned voice.

"Daryl? Are you alright?"

"Yeah. Why?" His voice was thick and angry. He wanted to yell at someone and punch something, but he knew he couldn't.

"I've called you a couple of times, and you didn't pick up. That's…not like you."

"And how the hell would you know what I'm like?" He roared into the phone, instantly regretting it, but unable to stop himself once the anger came out. "It ain't like you've known me long. You don't know a damn thing about me and who I am, what I'm like."

"Daryl…what's gotten into you?" Her voice was soft, trying to calm him down. "What happened?"

"Nothing. Just opened my eyes." His anger was reaching a head, and he was unable to stop it. "I'm not your little pet Beth. You don't get to call and I come runnin'. I'm a Dixon and you got no idea what that means, but I do. And it means this ain't ever going to work. You ain't ever gonna understand what it means to be a Dixon. It means you're going to have your fun and when you find out _exactly_ what it means, you're gonna find some respectable boy your age and you're gonna go and laugh at the dumb Dixon hick who thought he had a chance, and I ain't gonna play that game, Beth. I ain't gonna do that." It was silent on her end, and he was breathing hard, having vented most of his frustrations and fears on her. The angry fog that clouded his mind started to clear but before he could say anything more, her voice sounded on the other end, hard and hurting and sounding like she was barely holding back angry tears. It tore at his gut to know he'd done that, but better to do it now and rip it off like a bandaid.

"Daryl Dixon." He swallowed at the sound of his name coming out of her mouth, sounding like that. He'd never heard it sound like that, and frankly he didn't like it. "You're right. I may not know exactly what it means to be a Dixon, but dammit I'm trying. I'd like to know what it means, but you're so damn afraid. So damn afraid to let anyone get close you'd rather use it as a pathetic excuse to push someone away rather than take a chance." He sucked in a breath. "If I was just havin' fun, if I was just waiting for a 'respectable' boy do you think I would have introduced you to my friends? Do you think I would have really spent the time, tellin' you about me and do you think I would have wasted my time callin' you everyday?" She didn't even pause to let him answer. "You may be right Daryl, I don't know what it means to be a Dixon…but you sure as hell don't know what it means to be a Greene." And with that she hung up. Daryl stared at his darkened phone her voice ringing through his head. _You sure as hell don't know what it means to be a Greene._ What did it mean to be a Greene? He set his phone down, and picked up his beer, taking a swig and grimacing. This wasn't what he wanted.

His stomach felt strangely empty and cold. What the hell had he done? He'd let Merle, of all people, get into his head and twist up inside. He stood up, scooping his keys up into his hand along with his phone and wallet. He had to fix this. He barreled down the street to his car, and hopped in, not even questioning if this was the right thing to do. He pulled up to her apartment building, across town, in a record time, sure he'd broken just about every rule of the road in his hurry. He took the steps two at a time and was in front of her door before he'd fully come up with what he was going to say to her. He knocked and waited with bated breath for her answer the door. When she pulled the door open the look of anger and pain in her eyes nearly took him down to his knees. He felt like he needed to beg her to forgive him, that groveling on hands and knees was the only method that would move her to forgiveness. Before he could utter a word she grabbed him the shirt and yanked him into the apartment, slamming her door shut. She apparently wasn't done yelling at him and wanted to make sure her neighbors weren't getting an earful in the hallway.

"You, Daryl Dixon are the most frustrating man I have ever met." She poked him in the chest and he took a step back, away from the door, deeper into her apartment. "You're so wrapped up in these silly ideas that you don't see how they mess up everything for you." Another poke, and another step deeper into the apartment. "You don't know a damn thing about me if you think I would play you like that." Poke, poke, poke. "You don't know a damn thing about me if you think I would ever laugh at you for anything." Poke, poke, poke. Step, step, step. "You wanna talk about not knowing a damn thing about someone. Take good hard look in the mirror, because if you think I'd do anything that you just accused me of, you don't really know a damn thing about me." She moved to poke him again and he caught her wrist, gently. He deserved everything she was saying. He'd never seen her so worked up and so angry. She always seemed like they type of girl that never got angry, but oh how he had been wrong. He'd been wrong about a lot of things.

"I know. I'm sorry." He said, desperate to at least get that in before she continued to rant at him. She froze and looked at him.

"Why?" She didn't need to elaborate. He knew exactly what she was asking.

"I let my brother get to me. He knows what to say to just eat at me." She watch him carefully. "He saw you calling and just dug and dug until…" He trailed off. Her eyes flashed and he was ready and waiting for her to start yelling at him again, but she surprised him. She stretched up and kissed him, hard and angry. She nibbled his lips and lashed his tongue with her own and the heat of it all had him simply standing there responding the to kiss as best he could. She pulled away and looked at him.

"I'm still very angry at you…" She said, her words clipped and angry, but tinged with heat and a need that he felt mirrored inside him. "And now, you need to make it up to me." With that she shoved as best he could and he toppled back onto her bed. She climbed up into his lap, and he sat up his hands coming to her hips to anchor her there against him. He was confused. One second she was yelling at him and the next she was kissing him and driving him crazy. Her lips came to his while her hands went over his shoulders to his back and she started to pull his shirt up and over his shoulders. He stiffened and caught his shirt, mumbling a soft 'no' and she just met his eyes. Rather than push it she moved to peel her shirt up and off of her. She let the soft jersey shirt fall from her fingers to the ground and stiffened her back as his eyes looked her over. She was completely bare from hips up, having not put a bra on under the shirt she planned on sleeping in.

His mouth went dry and his hands itched to touch her, but he was suddenly very unsure of himself. She smiled. "Daryl…you're not making it up to me." She said softly and it kicked him into gear. His hand slid up her side to cup her breast as his lips met hers in a hungry kiss. If this was her idea of kissing and making up then he was game. He tweaked her nipple, swallowing a groan at the movement, and felt her grind down against him. Her pale golden hair was tied up in a messy bun, but he wanted to feel it around his hands. Gently he released her hair from the confines and ran his fingers through it while bucking up into her through the confines of his pants. She groaned, her fingers sliding down to his pants, undoing the button and sliding the zipper down. She reached her hand into his pants, stroking him through his boxers and he let out a whimper that was decidedly the most manly and arousing sound she had ever heard in her life. Without pause, or breaking their heated kiss she free'd him from his boxers, not bothering to take off his clothes. This was going to be fast and punishing and amazing and she didn't want to wait to get him out of his clothes. There would be time for that later. She stroked him once or twice before she moved to hover over him.

His fingers moved to slide her panties down her legs, but sensing her hurry he just pushed the fabric to the side, exposing her wet center to the air and his questing fingers. The wet heat that met his fingertips was enough to make him breathless. Without warning she sank down on him, clothes still on them both, and they both groaned loudly. Her hands went to his shoulders, while his went to her hips to help guide her into a rhythm that was going to drive them both over the edge quickly. Her head fell back as she moved over him, and his eyes watched hungrily. She was amazing, and beautiful and she felt so damn good. He was surprisingly close, and gripped her hips tightly to keep himself from coming too quickly. She was making the sexiest noises he'd ever heard as she rode him, taking him all the way down before rising up to the tip and sinking back down quickly.

The sound of her hips meeting his, muffled by the fabric of the clothing they still wore, just added an extra layer to all the sensations Daryl was experiencing and he knew if he didn't do something quick, he was going to embarrass himself. He reached down, eyes still glued to her face, eyes closed and mouth open making breathy gasps and sighs with each thrust, and touched the swollen nub. She let out a shriek of surprise and pleasure and her eyes met his. It was so erotic to watch him as he touched her, and Beth made a mental note to make sure he did it again, and often. She continued to ride him without pause, her groans and moans getting louder with every thrust. Finally he felt her stiffen over him, a silent cry etched on her face. He gripped her hips with both hands and trust up into her body as her muscles shuddered around him. She cried out, once more, her lips crashing down to his as he came, and she sighed his name into his mouth. They both slumped back onto her bed, arms wrapped around each other and lips pressing to each other in soft lingering kisses. They laid like that for a few moments before Beth made to shift off of him and get something to clean them both up. Before she moved she sighed into his neck, "No more letting your brother get into your head." He gave a soft snort.

"Not like I can just stop him from talking."

"Fair enough. But the next time it happens…come here and I'll make sure it's all better." She grinned up at him and he felt the tips of his ears burn red. If this was the welcome he got when he let Merle work him up…hell he might just let the man move in.

"Deal." He said, his voice low and hungry again. He was suddenly very glad he'd agreed to be her friend, and he was extremely grateful she had decided she didn't want to be a one-off thing. He could get used to this.


	6. Chapter 6

"You talked to Beth lately?" Abe asked as they both clocked out. Daryl looked at him and quirked and eyebrow at him. It had been almost two weeks since he'd let Merle rattle around in his head and cause strife between him and Beth. They'd talked on the phone every day, either through texting or actual phone calls. It was strange days that he didn't talk to her, but there had been some. In fact, now that he thought about it, he hadn't spoken to her in a good three or four days. He shook his head.

"Nah. Why?"

"No one has…Rosie asked me to bug you about it, because it ain't like Beth to not talk to at least her." Daryl studied Abe. As far as Daryl knew Rosita and Beth were really close, and it would mean something was wrong if she wasn't taking calls from her. "She wanted me to ask you to make sure everything was alright." Abe met his eyes meaningfully but Daryl couldn't for the life of him figure out what he could want from him.

"Nah. I haven't talked to her in a couple days." He was gruff with his answer. "Ain't like I'm her keeper or anything." Abe shot him a look that said he wasn't fooling anyone, but Daryl wasn't paying attention. Thoughts were spinning through his head and he was starting to worry about why he hadn't heard from Beth. "I'll try to call her tonight, and tell her to call Rosita." Daryl mumbled as he moved towards his car. He heard Abe call out a thanks, but was already halfway to his car, intent on going by Beth's place. He pulled out his phone dialing Beth's number. He grimaced as it went to voicemail. He grit his teeth, checking the clock on his phone, and turned on his car, heading straight for Beth's house. He was parked and up the stairs in the blink of an eye, knocking on her door. When the door swung open he suddenly understood why she wasn't answering the phone for anyone. She looked like hell.

She was pasty white, covered in a thing sheen of seat, her hair was matter and sweaty on her head. Her nose was red and raw and she was panting a little, as she stood looking at him from tired dull blue eyes. He was surprised to see her in such a state, but given that she had been given no warning that he was coming by he completely understood. "Jesus girl, you look like hell." He immediately wished he could pluck the words out of the air and shove them into his pocket. That was probably not the first thing you wanted to hear when you felt sick.

"Daryl?" She looked at him, almost like seeing him for the first time. "What are you doing here?" She sniffled and tried to push her hair into something that resembled a hairstyle.

"You weren't picking up your phone, Rosita was worried and had Abe ask me to stop by." Well…close enough. She looked confused but then pulled her phone out of the pocket of her robe, looking at it sheepishly.

"I turned my phone on silent, and forgot…" She answered. "I'm sorry." She seemed genuinely upset that she'd worried everyone. He just looked at her.

"You turned your phone on silent for three days and didn't think to check and see if anyone had called to check on you?" He blinked at her. She grimaced.

"I woke up really sick three days ago, and went to the doctors. I have some virus, not contagious," She added when she noticed him leaning away from her. "and the doctor gave me some pretty strong meds. I've been in and out of it ever since." She sniffled again. "I've been sleeping a lot." Her eyes looked so tired, and it seemed to take all her energy just to keep her standing. Daryl don't know why he did it, or what made him think he had the right to, but he swept her up into his arms, carrying her back into her dark apartment. He kicked the door closed gently, and noticed that Beth didn't fight him to try to walk on her own. _The meds really must be knocking her on her ass._ He walked back over to her bed, and set her down gently, peeling the musty robe from her shoulders and letting her lay back down on the bed, snuggling into the thick fluffy blankets on her bed. He plucked the phone out of the robe, before he flung it onto the couch next to him.

"Beth, I'm going to use your phone send a text to Rosie so she'll stop worryin' alright?" He heard her mumble something sounding like an agreement and then there was just her soft breathing. He quickly tapped out a reply to one of the many worried texts from Rosita explaining that he'd stopped by to check on Beth and she was sick, hopped up on meds and sleeping. Rosita sent a quick thank you and asked if she should come over to take care of her. Daryl looked at the sleeping mess of a girl, tucked deep into her light purple bedding, before telling Rosita that he had it under control and he'd make sure Beth called her when she was feeling better.

 _Thank you Daryl. She needs someone to take care of her._

Daryl felt the tips of his ears burn red and quickly deleted the message (not before forwarding it to himself). He set her phone down on the end table by her bed and looked around. Her apartment was stale, and didn't smell bad, but definitely didn't have the fresh air quality he'd come to associate with Beth's apartment. Quietly he opened a window, and moved to sit by Beth on the bed. "Beth…" He called quietly, noticing she opened her eyes, but didn't really seem coherent. "Beth," he touched her shoulder and she took a deep breath, blinking her eyes and seeming a bit more clear headed. "Are you hungry?" She seemed to just stare at him for a second while his words processed in her foggy brain. She nodded slowly and gave him a small smile. He stood and walked to her little kitchenette, searching her cabinets until he found a couple cans of soup. When he turned around to ask her which she wanted, she was already burrowed back into the bedding and sleeping again. He let out a sigh, and just picked a can at random. He doubted whether she'd really eat much of it anyway. He searched again for a pot, finding it sitting in the small dishwasher next to the fridge, emptied the can into the pot with some water and put it on the small coiled electric burner to heat.

Daryl took a moment to look around her little studio apartment. He'd been here a couple times before but had never really examined where she lived. It was a small space, but Beth had done her best to make it feel comfortable. It was a big rectangle, the bathroom just off the entryway, the only closet across from the bathroom. Coming in a little farther there was the living room area, that had a big couch, a coffee table, and a TV against the wall. Continuing a couple steps you ran into the big queen sized bed where Beth was currently knocked out, which sat across from the little kitchenette that had a small island that was used in place of a dining table. Everything in the space screamed Beth and he couldn't help but smile. She had pictures up on the walls, some of her and friends or family (he assumed) and some just pretty pictures of places or things for decoration. He liked her space. It felt comfortable and homey, so unlike any place he'd ever lived in his life. It made him smile again.

Everything about Beth was comfortable and so unlike anything he'd ever experienced in his life. While the soup heated up he took a moment to look at the pictures of friends and family she had up on the wall. He recognized pictures of a younger Rosita, probably from when they'd both been at college together, and pictures of Beth as a child with other kids, her siblings, he assumed as he noticed there were many other pictures of the two other kids at various stages of life. There was a picture of an older man and woman, probably her mom and dad. As Daryl stared at that specific picture Daryl was once again hammered by the notion that she really had no idea what it meant to be a Dixon. It meant you didn't have happy family photos. You didn't have smiling family outings or family portraits. You didn't have familial love like he was seeing in these pictures. She had no idea. She was so lucky to have this, this love, this caring, this safety net of family.

With a sigh he turned and made his way back to the pot, stirring the bubbling soup. He grabbed a clean bowl from the cabinet (he'd located them when in search of the soup) and poured some of the soup into it. He walked cautiously over to the bed, gently shaking Beth while calling her name. She stared back up at him a little confused until the sleep cleared from her mind and then she smiled at him. She sat up, graciously accepting the bowl and watching him.

"Daryl you didn't need to come by and take care of me." She said before she gingerly took a sip of her soup. "But I appreciate it." She commented softly. He shrugged a shoulder.

"S'nothing." He shoved his hands into his pockets as he watched her eat. "You feelin' any better?" She gave a snort and sipped her soup.

"I feel like I need to go take a shower and sleep for another twenty four hours, but I don't feel like I'm dying anymore, so that's a plus." His lips quirked into a little half smile as he watched her. She watched him too. There was something oddly sweet about knowing he'd come to check on her and when he found her sick, he'd made her soup and was taking care of her. She finished her soup quickly, and gave a yawn, shifting from the mass of purple comforter on her bed. "I'm gonna take a quick shower." She thumbed in the direction of her bathroom. He watched her, glad to see she was getting some color back into her face. "You can watch TV if you want. I mean…that is if you're gonna stay for a while." He gave a nod and she smiled softly at him as she moved towards the bathroom. She stopped at the closet, opening the dresser that was located inside it and pulled another pair of pajamas. She didn't have anywhere to go so she was just going to get out of these pajamas and put on some clean ones. Quickly she made her way into the bathroom and started the shower.

When Daryl heard the shower water running, he turned back to the half a pot of soup still sitting on the stove and made quick work of cleaning up his mess. He cleaned the pot and the bowl she'd been eating out of quickly, setting them into the dishwasher to dry. After that he grabbed a glass and poured her some water, she needed to stay hydrated, and set it on the night stand next to the prescription pill bottle. As he straightened the bathroom door opened and Beth emerged, hair wet, brushed and pulled into a low braid that was slung over her shoulder, and looking a million times better.

She smiled tiredly at him. "Oh…" She paused when she noticed he'd cleaned the dishes, and gotten her water. "Thank you Daryl." Her voice wavered and he could see the tiredness in her eyes.

"You seem really tired. I'll get outta your hair." He made to leave.

"Wait…" she held up her hands as if to ward him off from leaving. "Would you…stay? With me. Until I fall asleep again?" Her hands came down and started to fidget with the hem of her shirt and he just had to stare at her bewildered.

"Sure…but why?" She looked down, and then to the side. Anywhere but at him.

"It…I just…it feels nice to have someone here. Someone who cares." He just stared at her, while she fidgeted in front of him. This girl felt like hell, was on meds, and probably just wanted to go to sleep, and she was asking him to stay with her because it felt nice to have him around. His heart thumped uncomfortably in his chest and he nodded at her. She smiled up at him and scooped up the remote before crawling back into bed. He stood there staring at her until she patted the bed next to her and it jolted him from his revery. He looked down at himself before his gaze snapped back up to her.

"I'm covered in dirt. I'll mess up your bedding." She rolled her eyes.

"I'll wash my blanket. Please?" He took a breath before gingerly crawling on to the bed next to her. He sat up, back against the headboard, as she turned on the TV and switched the channel to a movie that was just starting. Without pause or preamble she leaned back into him and he fumbled a bit until he wrapped his arms around her. She settled back against him, head on his shoulder and sighed. He watched her, struggling to stay awake and watch the movie with him and smiled down into her hair.

"Go to sleep Beth. You'll feel better in the morning. I promise." She mumbled something but he didn't hear. "Huh?"

"Yeah but I haven't seen you in a couple days and I missed you. Don't wanna miss out." She stifled a yawn, and he couldn't help but feel inexplicably touched, yet again, by her words. He placed a kiss to her hair, the scent of her strawberry shampoo filling his nose.

"I'm not goin' anywhere. I'll stay right here. Now get some sleep." He murmured. It was another couple seconds before she shifted so her head was on his chest, arms wrapped loosely around his waist. He kissed her forehead gently and heard her sigh in her sleep. This wasn't what he had planned, but at that moment in time, he was so glad he'd made the decision to come over and check on her. He didn't want to be anywhere else.


	7. Chapter 7

Daryl looked around his empty apartment. Beth was on her way over and he suddenly wished he could call her and cancel. He didn't have much, and what he had was shit. He lived in a shit apartment, exposed brick that was cracking up the wall, water spots on the ceiling in the corner by the window, broken blinds that he never bothered with because they came with the apartment. Everything in the place was second hand, but he took care of what he had. He didn't have anything new or fancy, but he had enough to get by. A picture of Beth's apartment flashed before his eyes and a fresh wave of anxiety flooded him.

Everything Beth had was nice, maybe not new, but far nicer than anything he could afford. What would she say when she came inside? He took a breath. This was Beth. Beth who had never once put him down for anything. Beth who had been so angry when she'd heard about the venom Merle had pumped his head full of. Beth who would never do anything like the crap he was picturing. He straightened his shoulders, making sure the apartment was clean for the hundredth time, and checked his phone. She'd been here any minute. As if on cue, there was a soft knock at the door. He opened it expecting to see Beth's sunny face, but instead came face to face with Merle's shitty grin. "Hello Darylina!"

Daryl's eyes narrowed on his brother, "What the hell're you doin' here?" His eyes shot down the hall, expecting Beth to come around the corner at any minute. "You gotta get gone. And quick." Merle frowned at Daryl, barging his way into the apartment and making his way to sit on the couch in Daryl's living room.

"And why would I be doin' that?" Daryl turned on his brother, walking into the apartment and leaving the front door wide open. Daryl snapped his mouth shut, biting his tongue to keep from giving a reason. He didn't feel like being raked over the coals again just before Beth got here. He didn't want to be in a bad mood when she walked through that door. Merle quirked a brow and let out a whistle. "Oh, ho ho." He laughed and leaned back on the couch, watching as Daryl took a couple steps closer. He studied what he was wearing and let out a snort. "Darylina, you're all gussied up. Pants with no grease or dirt on 'em. A shirt…with sleeves." Merle snickered. "Your bit o' tail comin' over for some lovin'?" A loud guffaw sounded from Merle's throat. "You truly are pussy whipped. Dressin' up like some fool, tryin' to be better'n he really is. Come on baby brother, what's her name? At least tell me that much."

"Her name is Beth." Daryl's head whipped over to stare at the open doorway where Beth now stood, a cloth bag of groceries in her hand, and a tight fake smile plastered on her face. He was surprised to notice he could really tell the difference between the smile she currently wore and her full blindingly real smile. She took a few more steps into the apartment, shutting the door gently behind her. "You must be Merle, Daryl's brother." She said pleasantly, and Daryl cast a look over at his brother. What he saw made him snicker. Merle was sitting up straight, staring at Beth like he'd seen a goddess come down from the heavens, but then again, looking at Beth, Daryl fully understood how someone could make that mistake. Her hair was curly today, pulled back just at her temples, and free and beautiful to hang down her back and on her shoulders. She wore a pale yellow sundress, and her boots, and looked every ounce the angel he'd come to suspect she really was. Merle just nodded dumbly up at her as she walked forward, placing the bag carefully on the counter of the kitchen. "It's nice to meet you, are you staying for dinner?" She asked carefully. Her tone was breezy and light, but Daryl could hear the edge of anger lying underneath and suddenly pitied his brother. He had no idea what was coming his way. When Merle didn't answer and Daryl just stared at her, she sighed and rolled her eyes. "Well, we've got enough if you wanna join, but I gotta warn you. If you're staying you're gonna have to help in the kitchen. " She moved into the kitchen and started unpacking the groceries from the bag.

Daryl snorted as Merle stood. That seemed to jolt him out of his haze and bring him back to his senses. Merle pushed his hands into his pocket and puffed out his chest, trying to look intimidating. "Dixon men don't help in the kitchen." She paused and met his gaze with her piercing blue eyes. This time the smile that came to her lips was a real one, blinding in its intensity, and it nearly brought Merle to his knees. Daryl wished he could record what was about to happen, he knew whatever it was, was going to be good.

"If Dixon men wanna eat, Dixon men will help in the kitchen." She said softly, challenging him. He just looked at her, knowing she'd never let him sit there and watch her and Daryl eat without feeding him as well. She thought for a moment, her lips pursed as if she was sizing him up. Truthfully, she was. She'd met a few guys like this when she'd started school. Guys that thought they were so hard, and would do anything to prove it. "You know, real men aren't afraid to help a woman out with the cooking." Merle snorted. "I'm serious. They know that most women like to know that her man knows how to handle a knife." She quirked an eyebrow. "You know how to handle a knife, Merle?" When he didn't answer she just grinned. _Got him._ "Because I happen to know your brother knows how to handle a knife very well." That kicked his ass into gear, and Beth resisted the urge to snicker to herself. Merle wanted so much to be a badass, question his badass-ness and he'd do anything to prove himself, especially faced with the idea that his younger brother (that he'd just claimed was going soft because of her) was better at something than him. He'd even go into the kitchen and chop up vegetables for a bubbly blond girl who stood no more than five feet five inches high to prove he wasn't afraid of nothing. Daryl watched as Beth hung a yellow apron with tiny strawberries on it from Merle's neck, claiming that he didn't want to get food on his shirt and this was to protect his manliness. Merle had just grumbled and cut up the vegetables with the utmost care.

By the time Beth had everything cooking and ready to go, Merle was so wrapped around her little finger it was just ridiculous. He'd not only chopped vegetables, he'd minced spices, and diced ingredients too. Daryl had never seen Merle so utterly not himself ever before. Beth had him not only cooking, but, when she served the food, she had him eating with all the utensils _and_ using a napkin. Daryl had _never_ seen Merle use a napkin.

Beth teased him, and joked with him all through out meal prep and dinner, and Daryl was surprised to see his brother actually laughing and teasing her back. At the end of dinner, Beth cleared all the dishes away and had to shoo Merle out of the kitchen so she could clean them. "Babydoll, where you been all my life?" He flirted shamelessly and it just made Beth blush and roll her eyes. "Little brother. I think I'm in love. You better be careful, or ol' Merle's gonna steal out from under your nose." She just giggled and walked back into the kitchen and Daryl glared, half-heartedly at Merle who just shot him a shit-eating grin. Before she started dishes she walked out to where the men were sitting on the couch, and handed each of them a beer, promising that she'd finish the dishes quickly and then they could start the movie. When she left Merle turned to Daryl and gave him an appraising look.

"You done good little brother." Merle muttered as he took a swig of his beer. Daryl didn't bother to respond. "You tell her I said that and I'll knock you into next week."

"Mhm. Sure Merle." Daryl muttered.

"Damn, Darylina. How'd you land that one? I mean, I remember her bein' a looker, but hot damn. I must've been drunker'n I thought to pass that up. You're lucky I picked the wrong girl or you might be shit outta luck." Daryl snorted. Given a choice between the two, Daryl knew without a doubt he would choose Beth, too. Every time. Rosita was nice, but there was just something special about Beth. "You fuck that up, Daryl," Daryl's eyes snapped to Merle. It was rare that the man just used Daryl's name, so he knew he was being serious. "and you'll regret it for the rest of your life." Daryl didn't respond. He knew, deep down, he knew that was the truth. He didn't know where this was going, but he knew when it ended (and he was still 100% convinced it would end) he'd be messed up far longer than he had originally intended. He'd bare it though. A life not knowing her seemed far worse than a life having lost her. "And I'll jump in and snatch that up. Mhm." Merle took another swig of his beer and cast a big grin at him. Daryl rolled his eyes. If there was one thing he knew, it was that Merle stood no chance, but it was good to hear his brother liked her.

"All done." Beth chimed as she walked over to the couch. Merle stood quickly, startling both Beth and Daryl.

"Well, old Merle is gonna be headin' out." Beth's smile fell.

"Aww, do you have to?"

"Yeah. Can't keep you all to myself, Daryl will start to get jealous." He grinned and swept her up in a hug, her feet coming up off the ground. She giggled and gave him a light squeeze. "I'll see you around babydoll." He winked at her. "And if Daryl does somethin' to make you mad, you just call ol' Merle and I'll come knock some sense into 'im." She rolled her eyes.

"I don't think that'll be necessary, but I'll keep it in mind. Now put me down." She teased lightly. He let her go and made his way to the front door, depositing his empty beer bottle on the counter in the kitchen before he made a quick exit. Beth sighed and turned to Daryl, sliding down next to him on the couch. She was tired and ready to relax and watch the movie. He just looked at her. "What?" She smiled at him and he quirked a grin.

"I ain't never seen Merle act like that." He said lowly. "You got him wrapped around your little finger girl. How'd you do it?" She just shrugged a shoulder her blue eyes sparkling up at him.

"I dunno…just did it." She said as she looked down embarrassed. "He wasn't so bad." She said shyly. She had entered the apartment and listened to Merle razz Daryl mercilessly, and it had made her want to dish out some revenge. And so she had. She'd gotten the big badass to chop, and dice and mince different vegetables and even wear her frilly yellow apron. He didn't know it but she'd also snapped a couple pictures with her phone, completely innocently. If she happened to need to use them as blackmail later, well that wasn't her fault. She was just lucky to have been able to capture the memory, she mused quietly.

"Because you worked your magic." She let out a soft snort. She hadn't done anything remotely close to magic, but it felt nice to have Daryl claim she had. It felt good to have done something that Daryl appreciated. He leaned towards her. "You're magic, and you can't convince me anythin' different." She met his eyes and just grinned.

"Well, give me a second to start the movie and you can continue to tell me about how magical I am." She leaned forward and started the movie. She snuggled into his side again as the opening credits rolled onto the screen. Without thinking Daryl slung his arm around her shoulder, and placed a kiss to the top of her head. Yeah, he had many reasons to say thanks to this beautiful girl currently snuggling against him. Taming Merle was just the most recent in a long list of reasons. He had a feeling he wasn't going to be getting anymore shit from his brother. Slowly he leaned into her space again, kissing her. His hands came up to cup her cheeks gently as he kissed her slowly. When he pulled away to look at her face she looked at him curiously.

"What was that for?" She asked breathlessly.

"Just my way of sayin' thanks, I guess." She grinned up at him before kissing him again.


	8. Chapter 8

"Hello Daddy." Beth chimed into the phone. She was sitting at the island in her apartment, looking through different brochures for colleges nearby.

"How are you Bethy?"

"I'm good, Daddy." She paused. "Looking at schools." Hershel knew Beth had been entertaining the idea of going back to school for a while now.

"Is that so?" She could hear the humor in his voice. "Find any to your liking?"

"A couple. I'll show them to you at the barbecue on the fourth." She said brightly.

"I look forward to it." There was a pause. "Are you bringing your friend along to the barbecue?" Beth bit her lip. Truth be told, she wanted to invite Daryl to the barbecue but she was nervous about what he would say. They weren't exactly an item, or rather they'd never talked about being an item. She'd told him she wanted him to be what ever he wanted to be, but that left her in an awkward state of limbo of not knowing whether bringing him to the farm would be a choice, or if she'd sent him running for the hills. She sighed.

"I'm going to talk to him tonight." Her daddy hummed into the phone. As much as she was trying to be discrete, talk traveled fast in the small town. She'd had to have that awkward conversation a couple of days after she'd been spotted at the diner with Daryl Dixon(the awkward morning after she woke up from her missing night). He'd been hurt at first, thinking she was hiding something from him, but she'd assured him she wasn't and that Daryl Dixon was just a friend. She would just have to suck it up and ask Mr. Dixon if he'd like to go and see how it went. She looked at her watch. He was coming over tonight so she would do it tonight. "I'll let you know tomorrow morning?"

"Alright Bethy, then I'll talk to you tomorrow." She smiled into the phone.

"Alright Daddy. Bye." After she heard him hang up, she set her phone down and sighed. She needed to get ready.

~~~

Beth sighed as she snuggled into Daryl's side on her couch. She watched as the movie started playing, but was only partially paying attention. She couldn't figure out when or how to bring up the barbecue. She'd been trying to think of how to do it all evening, and it always just felt forced and not right. His hands came around her and she smiled to herself. She was probably making too much of this. He would probably just smirk at her and say he'd love to come and that would be it. She jumped when his hot breath rolled over her ear.

"You're a million miles away." She could feel the rumbled of his voice and she shivered.

"Sorry."

"If you don't wanna watch the movie, that's ok. We can do somethin' else." She looked at him, heat sparking to life in her eyes. She shifted against him so her back was flush with his chest and she pulled his arms closer around her.  
"I do wanna watch the movie. Promise." He hummed in her ear and they continued to watch TV. Her mind started to drift again, trying to figure out if she could squeeze out asking him before the movie got too interesting. Would he be distracted by the movie that maybe he wouldn't really think too hard about what she was asking and would just agree quickly? Hot lips on her neck jerked her from her thoughts and she let out a gasp.

"Y'back with me?" His voice was smooth in her ear. She let out soft groan and tilted her head to give him better access. She noticed that while she'd been tied up in her thoughts he'd tucked her gently between his legs, back to his chest, her head on his shoulder. Her hands gripped his jean-clad legs tightly as warmth spread through her body and settled between her legs. She gave a soft nod.

"Yeah. I'm back."

"Good." His chin rested on her shoulder, attention focused back on the movie. She let out a grumble and tried once again, to focus. It was no good. Her brain jumped from the fourth of July barbecue to the fact that she was now very aroused. She let out a little whimper as his hands and mouth settled back into innocent spots, not taunting or teasing her at all. She suddenly didn't want to watch the movie. She suddenly wanted to finish was he had started. She wanted to turn around and kiss his stupid face and make him burn just like she was burning for him, but it seemed like he wanted to watch the movie and so there she sat completely stuck. She weighed her options, sit there and do nothing, except watch the movie and slowly burn alive with the heat and want she was feeling now, or she could turn around and finish what he started.

Mind made up, she turned her focus back to the movie a secretive smile on her face before she let out gasp. Daryl twitched his fingers, which slowly slid down her body to the top of her jeans. She turned her head, her hot eyes meeting his and she could see the question in those dark blue depths. She gave a slight, small, almost imperceptible nod and he unbuttoned her pants before sliding his hand down farther and settling where all her heat was pooled. A deep groan rumbled from behind her and she smiled to herself. He wanted this just as much as she did. She turned her face to look at him but he stilled, a small dangerous smile on his face. Beth felt the air rush out of her lungs at just how sexy that smile was. "Watch the movie, Beth…" His voice was low, hungry, and she had no other desire but to comply. Her head turned back to the television and she watched with bated breath.

When his fingers moved against her, pleasure rocketing through her and her fingers gripped his legs tightly. Without thinking, and to give him more room to move, she slung a leg over one of his and she felt him smirk against her neck.

Daryl had been watching her the whole movie and could tell, each time she'd stopped paying attention and started thinking about something. He knew she really didn't want to watch the movie, and neither did he, so he wasn't going to force her. She'd been so out of most of the movie, she hadn't even noticed when he'd gently guided her to sit between his legs, with her back to his chest. She hadn't noticed it when his hands had rested against her ribs. She'd only seemed to focus as his hands slid down to the top of her jeans. He felt her press back into him, just the slightest bit and he felt his blood start to pool in his groin.

He could definitely think of better ways to pass the time rather than watch this movie, that neither one of them wanted to watch. So, when she nodded her head, and gave him permission to slide his hands down, down to the area he most wanted to be, his heart thumped a million miles a second.

The sounds she made, put him to the test. He wanted to strip her down and bury himself inside her, but he knew there was something much better to do beforehand. There was nothing better than watching Beth fall apart. After he'd watched her that first time (that he could remember at least) he knew he would make sure to watch as often as he could. It was, quite possibly, the most amazing thing he'd ever seen.

When she slung her leg over his, Daryl was lost. He could do nothing more than watch her as she bucked and moved against his hand. He moved his fingers quickly, experimenting to see how loud he could get her to moan for him. He was panting right along with her even though he'd barely moved a muscle. His eyes were riveted to her face, watching as the pleasure washed over her face in waves. He held his breath as she arched against him, her hands clutching desperately at his legs as she cried out his name. He felt the pulses of her body as she sagged against him, breathing heavily as pleasure swamped her body.

Beth looked at him through heavy-lidded eyes. She felt amazing, and she wanted him to feel the same way she felt. She turned in his lap, her hands going to his face as she leaned up to kiss him. With minimal adjusting, she was straddling him, arms around his shoulders, as he pulled her closer, hands splayed on her back. She pulled back gently and looked into his eyes. "I want you…" She said just above a whisper and then his lips were on hers again. Her fingers went to the front of his flannel and quickly unbuttoned it, leaving his chest bare to her eyes. If this had been a romance novel she would have swooned at how gorgeous he was. He chest was lean, toned, with a small smattering of hair. Her hands trailed over his body, loving how warm he was. She moved back, off of him, to kneel before him as she undid his pants, watching his face for any sign that he was going to make her stop. She gently pulled them down, and he kicked them off to lay hap-hazardously on the ground next to her. She bit her lip, suddenly feeling very unsure of herself. She felt his fingers on her cheeks as they moved up to thread through her hair.

"Ain't gotta, Beth. If ya don't wanna." He grumbled. He would never make her do something she wasn't comfortable with. She just grinned up at him.

"Oh, but I do want to." She said breathlessly. "You just…may have to…" She took a deep breath, her cheeks going red. "You may have to help me along." He smirked at her.

"Just do what feels right. We'll go from there." His low voice hit her ears and she nodded. She licked her lips before leaning forward and ran her tongue along the tip of him. He nearly came out of his skin, it felt so good. He groaned and was instantly rewarded by her taking him completely in her mouth. The feeling of her lips, wrapped tightly around him, of her tongue swiping at him as she moved over him, had him crossing his eyes before slamming them shut. The pleasure what unbelievable. He'd gotten head before, but it had always been half-assed and never anything good. This…this was amazing.

Slowly, achingly slowly, she pulled her lips up the length of him, her delicate hand trailing behind her mouth before she slid back down, taking almost all of him into her hot mouth again. He groaned again and gripped the arm of the couch in a death grip as she started to pump her hand and mouth over him quickly. She closed her eyes, listening to the strangled cries and deep groans spilling from his throat. The sounds he made were making her throb with want. She felt a hand gently thread through her hair and heard his voice call her name. She paused and looked up at him. "Beth, stand up please." His voice was soft, almost like he was scared to spook her or break the moment. She stood on wobbly legs and his hands went to her pants, still undone, and gently tugged them down and helped her step out of them. He guided her down into his lap. "This ok?" She smiled and nodded at him before pausing and leaning over to pull something out of her nightstand. His eyes focused on the foil square and it took a moment for his brain to process what she was holding.

"I just…" She fumbled with her words awkwardly. His hands came up and covered hers.  
"Gotta be careful." He finished for her and she smiled up at him. He was glad someone was thinking, because he certainly wasn't. It was like the second he came within orbit of her, all his brain function stopped.

Delicately she ripped open the square and pulled out the condom, before she slipped it on to him. His eyes never left her face, as he watched her gently roll the latex over him. She leaned down and kissed him, before shifting up, his hands on her hips, guiding her down over him. Her hands settled on his shoulders as she settled down into his lap, groaning at the feeling of him filling her. His fingers traveled up from her hips to the hem of her shirt before gently tugging the shirt over her head and tossing it away. He peeled the straps of her bra down her arms before unclasping it and letting the fabric fall away from her. His lips instantly latched onto a nipple, sucking and licking. She let out a groan before she flexed her thigh muscles, rising and falling over him. His big hands held her back, allowing her to arch back as she moved over him, his mouth never leaving her body as he kissed, suckled and nibbled his way over her chest and neck.

She threaded the fingers of one hand into his dark brown hair, moving quickly as she heard his groans start to get louder and longer. He was close. With a sudden lurch, she found herself on her back, Daryl baring down on her, pressing her into her couch. She wrapped her legs around his hips, arching up into him as pleasure flooded her body. She sighed, dragging his lips up to hers in a frantic kiss. Her eyes squeezed shut as he pumped into her body, high groans spilling from her mouth and into his. His eyes watched her face before slipping closed as pleasure filtered up his spine. Beth tightened her legs around his waist before letting out a loud cry as she fell apart beneath him. She registered, distantly, that she heard Daryl, groaning and stilling above her before he collapsed on top of her.

She held him, her heart thumping heavily against her ribs, her body thrumming with pleasure, and she heard herself speak before she registered what she was saying. "So, we're having a big barbecue on the forth, and I'd really like you to come." She froze as she felt him stiffen before leaning back to look at her. His face was completely unreadable before he shrugged a shoulder and gave a short jerky nod.

"A'right. Sounds good." Beth grinned like an idiot before she leaned up and kissed his cheek. She felt silly. There was nothing to be worried about. She was reading too much into it.


	9. Chapter 9

Daryl stood at Beth's stove, stirring the pot of noodles for the dinner he was making her. He'd showed up early and Beth had been on the phone, all the food pulled out onto the counter for what she was going to make, and he'd watched her for all of a minute as she struggled to fill the pot and listen to the person on the phone. He'd gently taken the pot from her, shooing her with the wave of a hand, and smirked as she stepped away with a grateful smile on her lips. He'd filled up the pot, placed it on the burner and set about inspecting the ingredients to figure out what she was making.

It hadn't taken a genius to see she wanted to make spaghetti so he set the burner to its highest setting and went about making the sauce. Truth be told, he had no idea what he was doing, he usually just used the stuff in the jar, but Beth had everything already out so he figured he couldn't really screw it up too badly.

That was how he found himself standing over a pot with noodles boiling away, and meat and tomato sauce simmering away. Finally, he heard the conversation ending and sensed, more than saw, her walk up beside him. She was looking down at the food a big bright smile on her face like he'd done the most amazing thing in the world by throwing all the ingredients together and tossing noodles into some hot water. "Thank you Daryl. You didn't have to cook dinner. I'da done it." He shrugged one shoulder, offering a grunt at her.

"'S no big deal. Just kind of tossed everything together." He looked at her. "Everythin' alright? That sounded kinda important." Her cheeks reddened and she nodded.  
"Yeah. It was important, but everything is alright." She said softly. He looked at her, squinting his eyes like he was trying to figure out a riddle or something before turning back to the noodles.

"Think these're done." She nodded and moved to drain the noodles. He watched her. He knew she wanted to talk to him, but he wasn't going to push.

Beth drained the noodles, before tossing them back into the pot and bringing the pot back to the burner. She poured the sauce over the noodles and stirred until everything was combined. She paused and looked up to him, wide eyed, like she'd just realized she'd done something very very wrong. "I'm sorry. I didn't even think…I always mix my noodles and sauce together. That way you know whether you've got enough sauce for all the noodles. Is…" He gave a snort and could stop the short burst of a laugh that tumbled from his lips.

"Don't even finish that question." He grinned at her softly as he cheeks turned red. "It's all gonna get mixed up anyway. This is fine." She nodded and turned back to the pot, mixing a few more times before pulling down some bowls. She spooned the spaghetti into the bowls and handed him one. The sat quietly at her little kitchen island, the clinking of forks the only sound in the room. He watched her. It was one of his favorite things to do. He could tell she was warring with herself and loved to watch the little faces she made. Suddenly her eyes came to his and she held his stare. He felt the tips of his ears burn red at being caught staring, but before he could look away, she was biting her lip, looking like she wanted to say something. "You ain't gotta tell me what you're thinking about telling me, if its gonna make you this uncomfortable." He rumbled out. She heaved a sigh.

"Is it that obvious I wanna say something?" He just looked at her and she smiled. "Fine." She looked down at her empty bowl, like it was suddenly the most interesting thing ever. "You done?" She piped before hopping off her chair. He gave her a grunt and watched as she snatched his bowl and moved to place both of them in the sink. She didn't even turn around. "So, I was thinking of going back to school in the fall." Her voice was nervous and he couldn't for the life of him figure out why. "I'm only a couple semesters away from getting my degree, and I figure…now is as good a time as any." She peeked at him over her shoulder. "What do you think?"

His eyes moved over her back, settling on the side of her face that was turned towards him, her eyes not looking at him. He knew she was still paying attention to him, waiting patiently for his answer, and honestly he didn't know what to say. He didn't understand why she was so worried about bringing this up. He'd never stand in the way of something she wanted to do, and couldn't understand anyone that would. "I think you gotta do what'll make you happy" He rasped out. "Ain't no reason to let your dreams get away." She turned to look at him.

"Really?"

"You on somethin' girl?" His eyebrows rose on his forehead. "Have you ever heard me say somethin' I didn't really mean?" She smiled at him.

"No…I guess I haven't." She flipped on the tap and filled the bowls with water. She bit her lip. "Would-would you look at some of the brochures with me?" She shut off the tap and turned to look at him. He shrugged his shoulders, offering a small nod.

"Sure, if you want. I don't know much about colleges though." He placed his hands on the island and leaned forward, propping himself up on his elbows. She opened a drawer and pulled out some of the brochures and pamphlets and sat down next to him.

"I just want to talk to someone about it. I mean, we're friends, right? Who better to share with than a friend." She smiled and looked back at the stack of glossy papers, completely missing his scowl. Friends? _Friends?_ Is that what they were? Flashes of hot skin sliding against his, sexy moans filling the air around him, the feeling of her lips on his skin, her nails biting into the skin on his shoulders flashed in his mind's eye. Those were not things shared between friends. He definitely didn't think they were friends…or at least…not _just_ friends. Is that what she thought they were? Is that all she wanted from him? To be friends, with the occasional romp between the sheets? His gut tightened. That wasn't what he wanted. He enjoyed spending time with her. Any time with her. Not just the times that they had sex, but the times they actually watched movies, and ate dinner, and _spent time together_. He shoved the thought away, determined to examine what he was feeling when he was alone, away from her intoxicating presence where he could really think about what he wanted. No use in getting wrapped up in feelings when he wasn't quite sure what he wanted. Right now, he was going to listen to talk about colleges she was interested in, because she was excited and he wanted to be supportive of something she was excited about.

She pulled out a bright pamphlet, that read Georgia State University, and he felt his stomach lurch. This school was in Atlanta, and while Atlanta wasn't super far away, it was definitely far enough away that she'd be gone more often than not (if she didn't just up and move there.) He forced a tight smile, battling his uncomfortable emotions as he listened to her list off why she was leaning more towards this college, and what program she would be taking and _'Oh Daryl…look at this. I'd be able to transfer classes I've already taken into this new catalogue…'_ He gave a few nods and some non-committal grunts before she moved on to a couple other smaller colleges and a couple community colleges. He bit his tongue to keep from suggesting she just go to the community college that was twenty minutes away in the neighboring city. She'd be close enough that he could continue to be able to see her almost every day like they were now. He swallowed the words that sprang to his lips about what the driving time to most of the colleges in Atlanta would do to their time together. He swallowed it all and felt himself hide behind a wall inside him.

Beth felt it too. With each new pamphlet, and each babbled sentence, Beth felt him close himself off a little more and she didn't know what to do. She could tell he wasn't upset with her per say, and she could tell he really was excited about her going back to college and getting her degree, but she could still feel a yawning distance between them, that she didn't know what to do. She stacked the pamphlets and slid them away. "I'm still thinking about it, and nothing is decided yet." She said awkwardly as she fidgeted next to him. "What do you think?" She saw him swallow and then take a deep breath before turning a soft smile to her.

"I think which ever school you choose will be lucky to get you." He was sincere. This was something she wanted to do and he was damned if he'd stand in her way. She deserved to be happy and to fulfill her dreams. Her eyes moved over him, studying every inch of his face, as if looking for the lie or the feelings he had buried and hidden away inside of him. Slowly, inch by inch she leaned forward her lips touching his in a feather light caress. She pulled back, just far enough to meet his eyes.

"I don't think you realize…exactly how much I needed to hear that." He gave her a small grin and that made everything better. The distance was gone. The wall he'd hidden himself behind was gone, and she just wanted to beam at him. She moved to stand next to him, he assumed to put the pamphlets back in the drawer she'd gotten them from, but he didn't want her to move. His hand snaked out, and landed on her hip, pulling her close to him as he rested his forehead on hers.

"I mean it, Beth. Whatever school you pick will be lucky to have you. And you'll do good, be good, where ever you decide to go too." He felt her place her hands on his chest before they slid up and wrapped around his shoulders. His other hand came around her and settled delicately between her shoulder blades, fingers splayed, and pressing her close to him. Daryl was surprised to find that there was no urgency when they touched, this time, like there normally was. He didn't have a roaring need to strip her down and touch every inch of her like he'd never been with a woman before. In fact, he was overcome with a sense of contentment. Just holding her was enough. He didn't want to let her go. Not to let her put the pamphlets away, not to go sit together on the couch, not to have her go off to college and forget him. He wanted to stay, wrapped in that moment with her for as long as he could, because suddenly, it felt like he was seeing the end in the distance, and even though he knew it was coming (had always known really) it was still going to hurt like a bitch.

~~~

Daryl rolled over in his bed, staring into the darkness of his room. It was late in the night, or early in the morning, (however you wanted to look at it) and he was most likely not going to be able to sleep tonight. The idea of Beth going to school was bothering him. No, that wasn't strictly true. He wanted her to go to school, but he knew that if she did, and if she chose one of those schools in Atlanta, she was going to move. There was no way she was going to commute that far every day, and even if she did. She'd leave early in the morning, spend the day at school, drive home in the evening and still have homework and shit to do. She wouldn't have time for him. Not to mention, there would be many guys her own age at school. She could have her pick of the litter, and he knew that. She'd go to school, spend all her time with some boy and would fall for him without even meaning to. He didn't fit into the equation of her life, and he knew he never really had, but it didn't stop the sick sinking feeling he got in his stomach when he pictured life without spending time with her, without being with her. His life without her smile, her laugh, her warmth, would go back to the way it had been, and Daryl didn't want that. He'd become someone. He'd become a better person with her, and he didn't want to go back to what he was before her.

He snorted at himself. He was thinking like he _was_ something to her. She'd called him her friend right? Was he her friends? He was more of a friend than he had been to start with, but he was more than a friend. Wasn't he? Did he want her to think of him as more than a friend? A resounding 'yes' sounded in his head and he knew he was sunk. He didn't want to be just her friend. He didn't want whatever they had to stay this nameless state of limbo where he didn't know what to call her, or if he truly had a right to be upset at the thought of being left behind. He wanted Beth Greene, and he wanted her to want him too.


	10. Chapter 10

To say Beth was nervous would have been the biggest understatement made in the history of man. She was bringing Daryl home to meet her family, and the thought had her pacing all night the night before. She'd done all her laundry, and cleaned her whole apartment (she'd actually cleaned her bathroom twice, once in the initial sweep, and then after she'd taken a shower to clean herself up) while trying to get rid of the nerves that were currently making her stomach churn. Daryl sat beside her in his beat-up pick-up, looking calm and collected. She had no idea how he could do it. She was a wreck, and was barely holding it together.

She'd been so nervous when inviting him, thinking he'd over react and feel like she was putting a label on them. That was something Beth was very careful not to do. Ever since the start of this whole…whatever they were…he'd seemed to balk at the idea of her being his 'girlfriend.' It had stung at first, but she was so greedy for his time she'd put the ball firmly in his court and told him he could be what ever he wanted to be. He'd never given her a label for what they were, and she really didn't need one, except for calling him her _friend_ felt so wrong, given how many times they'd shared a bed (or couch, or floor, or table) calling him her friend felt like she was hiding. She didn't want to be just his friend, but she liked what they were and didn't want to jinx it by having _that_ conversation with him. So, here she sat, in Daryl's truck, fretting about what Maggie and her daddy would say when they showed up, and how Daryl would take it.

Without thinking, she reached over and took one of his hands in hers, he glanced over and her and she smiled at him. "Thanks for coming Daryl."

"S'no big thing." He smiled at her in response, his hand gently squeezing hers. It wasn't long before they were pulling up to the family farm. Beth smiled as she climbed out of the truck, looking at the big farm house where she'd grown up. Daryl came up beside her. "You grew up here?" His voice held a note of awe as he asked and she had the feeling there was more hidden in that question than she really knew. She'd have to ask him about it later.

"Yeah." She said softly. "C'mon. I wanna show you around before we get swarmed." She grinned at him and tugged him along into the house. She could hear everyone laughing and having a good time out back in the field between the house and the barn. She wanted to show him around the house before too many people were around to stop them and bombard them with questions. They mounted the steps to the big white farmhouse and scurried inside, trying to dodge laughing friends and nosy on-lookers as they made their way upstairs. She giggled as they hit the top stair and she paused. "We'll start with my room, and I'll give you the grand tour." He gave her a grunt and followed behind her, into a small room, filled with soft pinks and blues and flowers and Daryl couldn't help but know this most definitely was a room that a little Beth had grown up in. There were pictures and medals all over her walls. Posters of old boy bands were tacked up on one wall, completing the whole image of a teenage girl's room (not that Daryl really had much idea on what a teenage girl's room looked like.)

Beth's childhood was decidedly different from his, he'd realized, not that there really had been any question about that. He could tell, just looking around her old room, that she'd had a happy childhood, filled with love and care. He had no idea what that felt like. His eyes landed on a picture of Beth, as a teenager, with the two people he'd come to assume were her siblings, and her parents. Beth walked up beside him. "That's my family. Daddy," She pointed to the older gentleman in the picture before her finger moved to the next person. "Maggie, my sister, Shawn…my older brother." She took a soft breath, "And that's my mom." She sounded sad, but before he could ask a knock sounded on the door and they both turned to look at who had entered.

"Oh, Beth, you are in here. Daddy was startin' to worry." Maggie gave a nervous smile, eyeing up Beth and Daryl. Beth smiled.

"Just wanted to show him around before everyone got here." Beth responded. "Oh, Maggie this is Daryl, Daryl this is my sister Maggie." Daryl tipped his head, mumbling an 'afternoon' while Maggie just smiled at him cautiously. "We better make our way down before everyone comes hunting for us." Daryl nodded at her, following her out as Maggie trailed behind them.

Introductions were quick, and while Daryl had thought it would have been awkward being introduced to Beth's dad, it wasn't. The man was warm and welcoming, and hadn't pressed Daryl with any awkward questions about him and Beth. He'd just moved conversation on, welcoming Daryl into the conversation he was currently having with a man named Otis, about re-roofing the barn and fixing some of the areas that had rot in the wood. Daryl didn't know why he did it, but he found himself offering to help, 'since he worked in construction and all.' Hershel had looked at him with a curious look in his eye offering his thanks and a promise to pilfer Daryl's number from Beth so they could make good on that offer.

Beth hadn't left him to to his own devices long. She'd shown up with a bottle, of what he'd assumed was beer, but choked as the flavor of root-beer filled his mouth. Beth just smiled as he'd turned to looked at her. "It's a long story…Daddy doesn't keep alcohol in the house." She said softly. She turned to her father, who was still deep in conversation with Otis, "Daddy I'm gonna steal Daryl if that's ok? Maybe go show him the horses?"

"Sure thing Bethy. Don't be long, your sister will start a manhunt if you disappear for too long." He smiled fondly down at his daughter and she giggled lightly.

"Yes sir. C'mon." She took Daryl's hand gently and tugged him along towards the barn. The thing was massive, and Daryl was suddenly apprehensive about having to get on the top of it to re-roof.

"So, why no alcohol on the farm?" Not that Daryl was complaining. He'd grown up around alcohol and knew what it could do to people.

"Uhm…" Beth looked around as they entered the barn, coming up to a brown horse that was currently munching on some oats. "When Maggie was little, her mama died, and Daddy found comfort in the bottom of a bottle." Her voice was soft, like she didn't like to share the darkness hidden in her family's past, and truthfully, he didn't want her to share if it was something she was comfortable with. "He got pretty lost, and did some things he's none too proud of. He woke up one day and swore it off. Hasn't touched a drop since." She looked over at Daryl, "This was all before I was born, so I don't really know how it all happened. Just stories and things I've been told. No one really likes to talk about it much, everyone just kind of accepts that we don't have alcohol at the farm." He stood there staring at her for a moment, wrapping his mind around the idea that Hershel Greene, the warm kind man he'd met and talked with, struggled with drink. It appeared even the most wholesome of people had their demons. "So I heard you're gonna help them put a new roof on this old barn?" He gave her a grunt, taking a swig off his soda. "That's really sweet. I keep telling him he needs to just tear it down and build a new one, but…he built this barn for my Mama and doesn't want to just get rid of it." She shook her head and leaned back against the pen, eyes studying Daryl as he looked around.

"Where is your Ma?" He suddenly realized he hadn't met her mother yet. That would be a hard meeting. He was definitely rough around the edges and nothing a mama would want her little girl hanging around. Beth bit her lip, her right hand going to her left wrist, thumb playing over the skin under her bracelets. There was very little Daryl missed even when he wasn't paying attention. He'd noticed the way she wore a bunch of bracelets over that wrist only, and hardly ever took them off, (much like the way he never took his shirt off around her) and had caught the briefest glimpse of the edge of a dark, puckered scar being hidden by those trinkets around her wrist. Daryl knew she had a scar, but had never asked about it, never wanting to open that wound or draw attention to the fact that he knew.

"Mama passed away." She said softly, her voice sounding brittle. "That's why I never finished college." Her eyes glazed over. "It was quick. She was making breakfast for Daddy and me, and just collapsed. I was there when it happened. I-I watched her die." He could hear tears in her voice and moved to hold her, compelled by the ache in her voice. She buried her face in his chest and sniffed, trying to calm down. "They said she'd had a massive heart attack and washouts gone when the EMTs arrived at the house."

"It's alright Beth. Yo ain't gotta talk about it, if it's too hard." He felt her press against him tighter, and tightened his arms, trying to make her feel more secure. They'd been doing whatever it was that they were doing for a couple months now, and he'd never seen her actually upset. Not like this. This was raw, and real, and new. This was a deep wound she kept hidden by a band-aid and a smile for everyone around her.

"No…I need to." She gasped out. "They always say talking about it helps healing, and after a while people got tired of me talkin' about it…so I just stopped. It's never gotten healed." She looked up at him and felt so torn. She didn't want to unload on him, but now that the dam was cracked she was going to lose it until she could put her world back together. She didn't want him to be bombarded with her dark secrets. She didn't want to freak him out and make him run by showing him what a mess she truly was. But it was there, at the surface and she was so tired of hiding. She hid from her family, and friends, and co-workers; she didn't want to hide from him. Not anymore.

"Let it out babygirl." He rumbled, not catching the term of endearment. He called her that in his head, but never out loud. "I'm here. I can't do much, but I can listen."

"I've never felt so scared, and helpless before. I mean, she just…she just went down and stopped movin' and I called her name. I tried to shake her. I yelled for Daddy, and he finally called the EMTs, and then I started yellin' at her." Her eyes were watery. "I yelled at her, like she was doing it on purpose. And then when they said she was dead, I just." A small sob escaped her lips as a tear trekked down her cheek. "I just kept thinking that my last words to my Mama were angry, like she'd done it on purpose. Like she didn't love me." He stared at her, eyes wide, disbelieving she was actually torturing herself over things she'd said to her mom when she'd died, things she'd said when she was terrified of losing her.

"Beth, she knew you loved 'er." He whispered gruffly into her hair.

"I know, but still."

"Still nothin'." He looked down at her. "What was the last thing you said, before she went down?" She looked confused. "Just think." Her eyes went glassy like she was thinking about something far away and long ago.

"I told her that I missed her pancakes when I was away at school. The dining hall food was nothin' compared."

"Then that was the last thing she heard." Beth started to shake her head. "Beth, _that_ was the last thing she heard." He held her eyes, practically begging her to believe him. Watching her hurt made him ache something fierce and all he wanted to do was make it better. She was tough, a fighter, and to see her so broken down, well it didn't sit right for him. Beth Greene deserved to smile and be happy, and not have a care in the world. Beth Greene did not deserve to live her days out haunted by pain and guilt for something she said in a moment of panic and fear. "She went out, knowing that you loved her and her pancakes." She let out a watery laugh but nodded once.

"Thank you." She rested her head on his chest, waiting until her breathing calmed down before she spoke again. "I was so angry at her, after the funeral and I went back to school." She started, gripping the back of his shirt with both her hands like he was a life preserver keeping her floating in the crazy waves of emotions. If she let go, she felt like she would drown. "I was so angry, and lost, and hurt. I just…I wanted my Mama. I couldn't focus on school. I didn't want to come home…I tried to kill myself but couldn't even do that right." She looked up at him, before drawing her arm from around him to pull her wrist up between them. "I mean, I could have…but when I did it, I just," She sighed, "I could hear Mama's voice telling me how much she loved me, and it just felt wrong. I knew she'd have been so upset to see me do something like that. She wouldn't have wanted it. So I wrapped up my wrist and had Rosita go with me to the campus clinic. They put me on watch and called Daddy, and Daddy made Maggie come pick me up." Her thumb moved her bracelets to the side to show the smooth line on her wrist. It was small, but had probably hurt like hell, and Daryl watched as his hand came up and he touched a finger to it. "I knew I was better'n that, so I've worked everyday to prove to everyone that I am strong and I can make it." She looked up at him.

"You are." He agreed. "You can take care of yourself. You're doin' a damn good job of it." She smiled up at him and he felt himself smile back at her. Everyone had their moments of weakness, and Daryl was starting to realize, Beth's life wasn't all ponies and rainbows and pancakes. She had her own scars, and her own secrets. She was trusting him with those secrets. Trusting that he wouldn't judge her, wouldn't look at her like she was ready to break, wouldn't look at her like she was damaged. Even if he wanted to, he didn't think he could ever look at her like that. She had reached her bottom and had dragged herself up through the mud to make herself stronger and better than that. She'd done a damn good job it. A damn good job indeed. He reached up to her face, wiping away one tear-track from her cheek, and smiled when she blushed prettily at him.

"You mind if we stay in here until it doesn't look like I cried my eyes out?" He grunted out a soft 'mm'. "I just don't wanna have to answer Maggie's questions." He nodded. When she pulled away from him he almost tugged her back into place, but resisted the urge, following her down the row of stables to look at each of the horses. She told him their names, but later he'd be hard pressed to remember a single one. He was too busy watching her and marveling at how she could do so little and make him feel so much. After a few minutes she turned to him and asked if she looked normal (he'd had to bite his tongue to keep the sappy comments from spilling out of his mouth) and then took his hand to lead him back to the party. Everyone was there and it smelled like they were starting to barbecue. As they rejoined the group Beth chatted away and Daryl watched as she easily slid amongst the groups. It was like watching sunlight penetrate a thick canopy. She brightened everything around her, and Daryl was hard pressed to tear his eyes away from her. She really was something special.


	11. Chapter 11

Beth and Daryl sipped rootbeer and laughed with friends for most of the afternoon, in the hot Georgia sun. Even though Daryl was just meeting most of the people here, he felt welcomed. Even, or rather especially, welcomed by Beth's dad and her big sister Maggie. He'd been the most worried about those two. He didn't care if anyone else welcomed him into the fold, but those two, those two needed to like him. They were Beth's family, and if they didn't like him then he could kiss whatever this was with Beth goodbye.

Daryl watched as Beth mingled, leaving him standing under the shade of a nearby tree. He just watched as she fluttered around the group of people, saying hello, laughing and talking for a few minutes before being swept off somewhere else. It was amazing to think this woman had been a tearful mess in his arms just hours ago, she was so warm and bubbly all the time. It was amazing to think she was ever a mess. Daryl jerked from his reverie to the sound of Hershel clearing his throat next to him. Daryl tipped his head, and his bottle of root-beer to the older gentleman in greeting. "How are you doing Daryl?"

" 'M good."

"I know get togethers like this can get a bit overwhelming when you're not used to the people." Daryl agreed with a soft 'mm' and continued to watch as Beth milled around the group. "She makes it look so easy, don't she?" Hershel asked quietly, drawing Daryl's eyes back to him. He nodded mutely, not really knowing where the man was going. "She's alway been a social girl. Used to think it was going to cause her trouble." Daryl had a sinking feeling. Was this the part where Hershel told him to back of his daughter and go find someone else to mess around with? Was he showing what he truly thought of _Will Dixon's_ son hanging around with his precious ray of sunshine? "She sees the best in everyone." Daryl watched him closely, waiting for the hammer to fall. "I know, y'all are…just friends…" Hershel gave him a knowing look that had the tips of his ears burning red, "but I wanted to let you know I appreciate you being there to make sure Bethy doesn't get into trouble. I can't always be around, and it makes me feel a mite better knowing she's got someone to look after her and make sure she's not seeing the good in the wrong people." Daryl stared at him blankly.

"Y'ain't gotta thank me." He rumbled out, dropping his eyes to the ground. "She's tough and takes care of her own. She can handle herself. She don't need anybody looking after her…" he looked over at the girl in question. "Least of all a Dixon." he mumbled under his breath. Hershel paused and looked over at Beth, before looking back at Daryl.

"Look, I know you're Will Dixon's kid," Daryl's eyes shot back to Hershel's face. "Ain't nobody in town that don't know who you and yours are. And I'm standing here, on this hot Georgia afternoon, telling you that it doesn't make one lick of difference to me if you're a Dixon, a Grimes, or a Greene. If Bethy likes you, you're a good man. She wouldn't be friends with someone who ain't a good man." Hershel took a long sip from his tea. "She's got a sixth sense about her, she can just see it. See what's inside ya, and help pull it out. You're a good man Daryl. You don't have to do much for that to show." Daryl looked down before his eyes traveled back to watch Beth, feeling an unfamiliar warm feeling spreading inside his chest. "Son, I'm proud to have _this_ Dixon watchin' after my little girl. Always remember that."

Daryl watched him go, unused to the feeling of having someone proud to know him, much less 'look after' a member of their family. It was strange, but he liked it. He liked that this family didn't just hear his last name and immediately scowl and look down their noses at him. No one outside of the Greene family treated him like he was anything other than an angry red-neck, never mind the fact that he'd gotten a job, lived a quiet life and kept to himself. None of that ever mattered. He had a feeling, it never would.

"You hurt her, and I'll take you out back and put you down myself." A feminine voice sounded next to him and he jerked his gaze to land on the eldest Greene daughter, Maggie. She wore a small grin, that said she was being friendly, but her threat was real.

"It ain't-"

"I know. I know exactly what it is and what it ain't." Maggie looked over to see Beth getting bear-hugged by Rick Grimes, a friend of her father. "And I'm letting you know. When it gets to be what it ain't…you hurt her, and you won't have to worry about Daddy findin' out." He quirked an eyebrow.

"And what makes you think it'll become 'what it ain't'?" She just looked at him with that look; the look Beth gave him when he asked a dumb question just to rile her up.

"If you're smart you'll make sure it does." She grinned at him. "Now, unless you wanna be upstaged by a fifteen year old, you might want to go over and snag her. Carl's had a crush on her for years and it doesn't look like it's going away." His eyes darted over to watch a younger boy approach Beth, scuffing his shoes in the dirt and acting, for all he was worth, like a boy not half in love with the girl he was talking to.

"That's my cue." Daryl muttered before he started his trek across the field.

"Good talk Daryl." Maggie called, giving him a satisfied grin. She'd gotten the obligatory sisterly threat out of the way, now she was free to just enjoy the show. If she could read anything about Daryl, it was that he was going to fumble his way through this, and it was going to be _the most_ entertaining thing to watch.

Daryl approached Beth slowly and noticed two things. One, Carl's eyes hit him square in the face before he was halfway across the grass, and the kid puffed up a bit as if to protect his beloved. And two, the second he reached Beth's side, she reached out and took his hand, like it was the most natural thing in the world to do. She smiled up at him, like she hadn't seen him in days, rather than just minutes, and she leaned into him as she continued to talk to Carl. Carl continued to eye him up and down until Beth introduced him simply saying "Carl, this is Daryl. Daryl this is Rick's son, Carl." Brief 'hello's were exchanged and then Carl's eyes were glued to their join hands, which Beth promptly ignored. Neither one of them had to explain anything and she wasn't about to go make it awkward when they were both having a good time.

After her cry in the barn, Beth really wanted Daryl to have a good time. She'd unloaded on him, and he hadn't been expecting it, but he'd been patient and had listened to her and comforted her. Now, she wanted to make sure that when he remembered today he focused on the fun and the good rather than her sad sob story in the barn. She kept conversation light, trying to mediate between the two boys. She wanted to roll her eyes at Carl, he was acting like he had some sort of claim on her, when he was so much younger than her it was silly. She heard Lori calling and turned to see the woman motioning for Carl to come over. "Hey, I think your mom wants you to go talk to her for a second." Carl looked over at his mom, who motioned again for him to come over. "Don't worry. I promise not to sneak off without saying goodbye." Beth teased and Carl smiled a bashful smile before turning and making his way to his beckoning mother. Beth looked up at Daryl. "You having a good time?"

"Yeah."

"Saw you talking to Daddy and Maggie. Everything ok?" She asked, worried.

"Yeah. I can handle myself." She looked dubious. Not that he couldn't handle himself, but she didn't want her family making him feel out of place or unwelcome. "Beth, they were warm, and welcoming. Your sister is somethin' else," She shot a glare towards her sister. "Don't. She's fine. Everything is fine. Stop worryin'" She stared at him, eyes searching to see if he was telling the truth. "Promise. I'm havin' a good time." She nodded.

She heard her daddy calling out that dinner was ready and to come and get it before it got cold. She squeezed his hand. "Come on. Let's get some food and then when it gets a little darker we can set off some fireworks before the big show starts." He gave her a nod and followed her to the table lined with all the food.

Dinner was filled with laughing and joking all around. There were picnic tables set up along with blankets laid on the ground for others to sit on. Carl sat next to Beth, trying to block Daryl from sitting next to her, but Daryl just smirked as he plunked himself down on her free side. Carl glared at him and Beth made a mental note to have a talk with him about how to treat others, and to make it perfectly clear that she was not interested in him like that. She gave Daryl an apologetic look but Daryl just shrugged it off, giving her a quick smile and leaned in to whisper in her ear, "He can sit next to you all night, as long as I'm the one taking you home." She blushed a deep red and lightly, teasingly, smacked his shoulder. Maggie and her boyfriend, an asian kind named Glenn, sat across from them, aiding in Daryl's cheap attempt to mess with Carl. Everyone gave a laugh when Carl grumbled about adults and stood to go throw his trash away.

Maggie looked around, noticing the sun was starting to set and everyone was pulling out their little fireworks, and grinned at Glenn. "C'mon Glenn." She stood, taking their trash and getting ready for the festivities. Glenn stood to follow Maggie, looking at Beth and Daryl.

"Come on Beth. You know how your sister gets with fireworks. If someone isn't watching her she'll set the barn on fire." Beth giggled. "Bring your boyfriend." And that was when everything froze. Her eyes darted from Glenn to Daryl and she actually saw him stiffen and freeze, and felt her stomach drop.

The moment Daryl heard the word _boyfriend_ he froze. Not out of fear but because he was nervous that _someone_ had put a label on what he was to her. Usually the term boyfriend made him roll his eyes and snort, but thinking about being that for Beth made his heart thump uncomfortably fast, and made his breathing come quickly. He liked the idea of being her boyfriend. The term was asinine but he liked being able to say he belonged to this bright ray of sunshine sitting next to him. He liked the privilege that came with being her boyfriend. Privilege like being able to introduce her to others with some sort of term that explained how important she was to him. Privilege like being able to take her places without questioning gazes and dark glares, like he was a predator stalking her. He wanted to be with her for the long term. He wasn't thinking marriage, that was a little too long term for him at the moment, but he definitely wanted to be longer than just the summer. He wanted to take her places, and give her things, and tell her things, without it getting weird. He wanted it all, and he had no idea how to tell her that without it coming out all jumbled and wrong. It was a moment that made him hate how bad he was with words. His eyes went to her and he could see the emotions flitting across her face, settling on and uncomfortable combination of flustered, angry, and nervous.

His hope seemed to die in his stomach. She wouldn't want to put a label on it because that made it serious, and she didn't want serious. At least, not with him. He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from letting everything tumble out of his mouth. They needed to talk but not with Maggie's boyfriend standing there twitching and fidgeting beside them.

"Glenn," Beth said, her voice oddly upset. "It's…not like that. Daryl's my friend." Glenn squirmed before tucking his hands in his pockets, eyes darting between the two of them.

"Oh, well, I just…" he stuttered. "I figured." He cleared his throat. "Friends is cool." He finished lamely before turning awkwardly and making his way over to the field where kids were playing with sparklers. Beth played with her thumbnail, not sure what to say. She was upset. She shouldn't be, but she was. She wanted him to be her boyfriend, but more importantly she wanted him to _want_ it too. It was just a label. Weren't they pretty much there anyway? She was so tired of tiptoeing around everything. She stepped away from the bench she had been sitting on, picking up their trash.

"Beth…" Daryl called, not wanting her to leave, but she wasn't ready to talk yet. She wanted to lick her wounds and talk about how he didn't want to be tied down when she wasn't so emotional.

"I'm gonna throw away the trash. I'll meet you over at the field for some sparkler fun?" Daryl watch her as she walked away. She was so upset it was showing and it was startling to him. He'd never really thought she'd be that upset to have him mistaken for her boyfriend. He never thought she'd truly be this disappointed to have someone label everything. It made his stomach turn. If it was that upsetting to her, he'd just pretend it never happened. As much as it would kill him, he could go back. Or at least he hoped he could. Daryl was starting to believe he was in far deeper than he intended and wasn't quite ready for the heartbreak that was going to come when they ended, and judging by the way she'd just reacted, that end might be closer than he had anticipated before. He sighed and stood, making his way over to where the kids were playing with sparklers. He noticed Glenn wouldn't even look in his direction, pretending something over by the barn was far more interesting than anything in Daryl's direction. _Good, serves him right._

Beth sighed as she threw the paper plates and napkins in the trash. Her feelings were hurt and her heart thumped painfully in her chest. She wanted to cry, but knew she wouldn't have a moment's peace if she disappeared now. She would just pretend it hadn't happened. Her feelings may be bruised, but she was good at pretending, at least until she got home and could have a good cry. She'd just pretend he hadn't shattered her little daydream with just the stiffening of his shoulders, and she'd plaster a smile on her face. She'd plaster a smile on her face and enjoy the show and the fireworks and figure out the complicated mess that was her relationship with Daryl another time.


	12. Chapter 12

Daryl groaned. Today was Saturday and for once he actually had the whole day off. He planned on just messing around with his car. It was making a funny ticking sound that sounded suspiciously like the timing belt needed to be changed out. What he really wanted to do was spend it wrapped up with Beth all day, but things had been a bit strained since the barbecue on the forth. It had been the slowest week of his life. She'd texted him but hadn't been free much all week. He'd started out not panicking, but as the week wore on, he was already readying himself for the final blow, when she would just break it off with him. He wasn't looking forward to it, but with the distance between them growing into this yawning chasm it felt inevitable and he was just glad he could prepare for it. He heard an insistent knocking at his door and grumbled. Probably Merle stopping by after a hard night of boozing and drugs. He stalked out of his room, in only a pair of pajama pants since he didn't want to answer the door for his brother in just his boxer shorts. He ripped the door open, grumbling out in a harsh tone, "Dammit Merle. You need to start coming by at a decent hour, it's Saturday and my only day off. I ain't got time to worry about your drunk ass." His eyes landed on Beth standing in front of him, an amused grin on her face, and he sucked in a breath, his stomach plummeting with dread. He didn't once notice the bag of groceries that hung from her hand, or the small bag she had on her back in a little cloth knapsack.

"Well, I guess it's a good thing I'm not Merle." She grinned up at him. "Sorry, if I'm bothering you. I know it's early. I wanted to make you breakfast." She moved her hand holding the bag of groceries. "I know you wanted to see me but I've been really busy this week. I wanted to make it up to you." His face was blank, but his mind was whirling a mile a minute. She wanted to make him breakfast? She was here, at his apartment, with a bag of groceries because she wanted to spend time with him? Wasn't she supposed to be calling it quits? Wasn't she supposed to be saying this wasn't working and that it was getting too serious and that wasn't what she wanted?

Daryl stepped back, letting Beth enter the apartment and move to the kitchen before he really said anything. He couldn't figure her out. Every time he thought he'd figured out her next move, she completely bowled him over and did something unexpected. As he watched her unload a bunch of groceries in his kitchen he suddenly became aware that he was shirtless, exposing his back to her the minute he had to turn around to get dressed. He started to inch his way towards the hall, keeping his back away from her. Luckily she was distracted with the groceries and he made it halfway down the hall and was able to turn and scurry into his room without being seen. He left his door cracked and moved to his dresser, pulling out a pair of jeans. He shucked his pajamas and pulled on his jeans, doing up the button and zipper. He was reaching for a flannel to throw around his shoulders when he heard Beth's voice floating into his room.

"Daryl do you want your eggs scrambled, or over easy, or I could do sunny side up…" His eyes snapped up to the mirror above his dresser and connected with her blue pools where she came to a stop just inside his, now, wide open door. He watched as her eyes zeroed in on his back, her shoulders stiffening, and her teeth gently chewing on her bottom lip. Defeat flooded him, and his head dropped down, unable to see the pity fill her face. He counted his breaths, trying to stay calm as feelings of dread, and anger, and sadness overwhelmed him. Cool fingers glided up his back, fingertips grazing the long scars that covered his back. He stiffened at the contact but never pulled away from her exploring fingers.

"You don't have to tell me, if it's too painful." Her voice whispered behind him. He felt her cheek press against his shoulder blade as her hands wove around his ribs to press against his chest. "But I'm here if you wanna let it out. I'm here to listen." She just stood there, wrapped around him, trying to give him comfort for pains and memories she had no idea about, and it struck Daryl that this was _so very Beth_. She didn't need to hear his sob story to offer up her comfort, just because he had once been in pain.

"I didn't grow up the same as you. My dad was a mean drunk, and for a while he used up all his anger on my Ma. She eventually found her way to the bottom of a bottle to dull the aches and pains. When she died, Merle was gone already and it was only me left." He heard a quick intake of breath but other than that she stayed silent, listening to him much like he'd listened to her back in the barn. "It started with just his hand, then he moved on to other things, shoes, spatulas, but he used his belt most often. It was always on him. He'd wale on me until I stopped squirming. Sometimes, when he'd run out of money at the bars he'd come home extra pissed because he wasn't completely drunk, and put out cigarettes on my back. I took off when I was fourteen and ain't stepped foot back in that trailer yet. Merle let me tag along with him until I got this place." He could feel moisture on his back and knew Beth was crying for him.

"I'm sorry." He pressed a hand over hers, pressing her warm palm into the skin of his peck. He wanted to tell her she had no reason to be sorry, but she spoke again before the words could pass his lips. "I'm just so angry." It was in that moment he felt her hands tremble against him.

"Why?"

"No one deserves what you got growing up. I'm angry that you had to go through that alone, and I'm angry I wasn't there to make it stop." Her voice was thick and low; a wet angry the squelched with tears as she spat out the words. Her hands gripped him tighter, pulling her body flush with his and he could practically feel her whole being trembling with her anger. That was unexpected. He'd expected sad, pity, sympathy. He hadn't expected white hot rage to fill her tiny frame until she shook with it. He hadn't expected her to want to be there to protect him. No one had ever wanted to protect him before. The image of a fiery, angry little Beth popped into his mind, and for a moment, he didn't doubt she'd have ripped into Will Dixon with a righteous fury that would have made the grown man cry. A bundle of hot, golden sunshine piercing the dark in his crappy life and keeping him from the sting of his daddy's belt. It would have been a sight to behold.

"It ain't your fault."

"I know, but it still isn't right." She sniffed back her hot tears, "And you are such a good person. Why wasn't someone there to protect you? Someone shoulda been there." He didn't want to tell her he'd wondered that question many times himself; as he laid crumpled on the floor quietly sobbing as waves of pain rippled through his little body. As he'd felt his stomach growl as the clawing ache of hungry ripped at his insides because he hadn't had anything to eat that day. And when he got older, as he watched others turn and whisper to each other as he passed by. "I'da laid into him. He'd have never touched you again, if I'd been there." Her voice was soft, succumbing to her tears of anguish at just imagining the pain he had gone through as a child.

"Beth you were just a baby, only a couple years old when I left." He rumbled out. He knew it was the wrong thing to say, but he didn't want her to hurt because she hadn't been able to help him, and he knew that was the kind of person she was. She'd feel every slice of the buckle, every slide of the leather across his back, every scorching hot burn from the cigarettes, just from imagining the torment he'd gone through, and he didn't want that. Not for her. Not for anyone really, but especially not her.

"I don't care!" She knew she wasn't making any sense, but she was too far gone to try. She ached for the little boy he was, and could just imagine him crumpled on the floor, small defenseless body battered and bruised from hands that were supposed to love on him more than anyone else in the world. She ached for the man, that stood before her, doubting his own self worth, because if your own father couldn't love you, how could anyone else in the world?

She loved him. She blinked, only noting she was only mildly surprised at the revelation. Deep down she'd known already. She did. She loved him, and she wanted to show him that. She wanted to show him that he was worthy of love, but not just that. She wanted to show him that he was worthy of _her_ love. She sniffed back her tears, blinking them away to clear her eyes. She may not have been able to give him the love he needed when he was little, but she could now, and she'd be damned if she was going to wait a minute longer. Achingly slowly, and with special care, she moved around him until she was standing in front of him, staring at his face, which was down-turned and hidden mostly by his dark hair. She stretched up, her hand cupping his cheek, and pressed her lips to his in a soft kiss.

Daryl stared down at her as she moved around him, bracing himself for any pity he might see. When she faced him he was happy to see that there was none to be found in those crystal blue orbs. Her eyes and the tip of her nose was red from crying, her skin was a bit blotchy and damp from her tears and he honestly couldn't think of a time when she looked more beautiful to him. When she pressed her lips to his, her soft cool hand on his cheek, it took all his will power not to crush her to him. His arms came around her, one hand settling at the base of her neck and the other pressing into her lower back. She felt so good pressed against him, kissing him, comforting him. There wasn't a single soul who he'd told about his past (not even Merle knew the whole truth) except for this amazing woman now nestled in his arms, and she'd responded in the best way he could have ever dreamed. She didn't hold it against him, she didn't judge or pity him, she didn't think less of him because of the unfortunate past he had. She'd been angry for him. Angry at the injustice of it all, and now she was kissing him. Showing him that he could be worthy of happiness; could be worthy of her even if he was a Dixon. Or maybe, especially because he was.

It was a humbling and heady kiss. Just the mere touch of her lips to his had his body responding to hers like they were made for each other. She took both his hands in hers, ending the kiss before tugging him towards his bed. Beth guided him down to sit on his bed. Her hands cupped his cheeks before her lips landed on his, soft and questing. His hands, which had landed limply on his legs, touched her thighs hesitantly before sliding up to her hips. He tugged her in close, not breaking the kiss, and held her like a man afraid. He pulled a bit more, helping to stabilize her, as she slung first one leg over him and then the other. The hem of her summer dress bunched between them and rode up her thighs, exposing more of the creamy skin he loved to touch. His mouth opened under her lips, and his tongue darted out to stroke the fullness of her bottom lip. She groaned and allowed her own tongue to slip out and play with his. Her hands slid back to the nape of his neck, fingers tangling in his dark brown hair. She was plastered to him frantically, as if she would be pulled away any minute by an unseen force. She felt him pressing against her, hard and insistent, through the cloth of his pants. His hands moved her to rock against him, causing a friction that made both of them groan with pleasure.

He dragged the little sundress up over her head, dropping it to the floor behind her, as his lips came to the skin on her collarbone. He kissed a pathway across her chest, his tongue gliding out to lick at the spot where her bra met her skin. He felt her fingers clench in his hair, with a strangled groan sounding above his head, and knew he would never get tired of hearing that sound come from her. He'd had past flings before, but this, sex had never been like this before. This was something completely special to when he was with Beth, and he knew, deep down, that he never wanted this to end. His fingers inched their way up her back, fumbling a little to undo the clasp of her bra. When he felt the clips release he let the fabric fall away from her skin, dipping his lips down to take a nipple into his mouth. Her head fell back, and she watched him through hooded eyes.

With no warning he twisted, pulling her from a straddling position over him, and laying her down beside him on the bed. He worshiped her skin, kissing pathways from her neck to her belly. He sat up on his knees, watching as she arched and writhed on his bed, panting quickly and staring at him with eyes so hot he felt like he'd burst into flame. He hooked two fingers into the waistband of her panties and pulled them down, sliding them off her legs and letting them fall from his fingers off the side of the bed. She sat up, her fingers eagerly going to the button and fly of his pants, managing to undo both before he caught her hands with a quiet chuckle. "Gotta slow down, baby girl." She looked up at him and whimpered. His hands circled her wrists, gently prying them from his pants and he leaned her back against the bed, placing her hands up by the headboard above her head. "We'll get there, but you gotta slow down." She nodded and watched as he shifted over her, not taking off his pants, until he was between her legs, thighs hugging his hips. His hands started the trek down her lithe form, followed by his lips as he kissed every inch of skin he could reach. His hands landed on the inside of her thighs, pressing them open a little more to make room as he slid lower.

He heard her breath catch in her throat as his fingers slipped into her core, feeling how wet she was for him. He kissed her thigh, his tongue tracing the spot where thigh met pelvis, and Beth arched and groaned. "Daryl…please…" She whined as she moved beneath him. His thumb brushed over her core and she jerked letting out a high pitched cry of pleasure. He couldn't hold back any longer. He leaned forward, tongue drawing circles around the little nub before he ran the flat of it over her. She let out a shriek and gripped the blanket beneath her in tight fists. Her body was practically singing. He alternated between rubbing directly onto the bundle of nerves and circling it. She went from taut to languid, to taut again with each new movement from him. The entire time, he watched her. When he heard her pant out his name it sent a spear of want through him so strong that if he'd need standing he'd have gone to his knees. He couldn't take it any longer and surged up to meet her lips with his. Her hands moved down, pushing his pants from his hips, and with the help of her legs he kicked the constricting clothing off and let it fall tot he floor. With one smooth thrust he was buried inside her, both groaning at the feeling of completion. With slow thrusts he moved in and out of her. He knew, it wasn't going to be long, but it was going to be amazing.

Her hands threaded into his hair as she cried out. Her eyes met his and then she was falling apart underneath him. The sight was amazing, and with a last thrust he followed her over the edge, her name a whisper on his lips.


	13. Chapter 13

Beth knocked quickly on Daryl's door, her knuckles rapping in short strokes. The speed in which he opened the door made it seem like he was waiting behind it for her to knock. She stifled a giggle at the idea. "Hello!" She chimed, shooting him a big smile as he opened the door wide enough for her to make her way inside.

"Hey." He mumbled, shoving his hands in his pockets as he watched her walk past him. He noticed she stayed near him rather than walk towards the kitchen. She had a pensive look on her face and it made him pause. "What's up?" He'd learned he needed to just be direct instead of trying to read her mind and guess what she was thinking.

"I was wondering if you wanted to go out to the diner tonight for dinner. We've been eating in a lot and I wanted to treat us to something nice." She chirped, a big beaming smile on her face. He frowned at her, not because he didn't want to go out, but because he'd planned to make her dinner tonight for a change. He wanted to do something nice for her. She was constantly making them dinner, or bringing over groceries to cook at his place. This time, tonight, he wanted her to relax while he cooked for her.

"Nah. Let's stay in." His mumbled response made her pause and look at him. She studied him, her mind racing as she tried to figure out his response. She'd expected him to agree, or to agree but tell her he was paying (and she had a perfectly good rebuttal for that argument) but she was totally unprepared for him to completely shoot down her idea of going out. What if…what if he didn't want to go out because he didn't want to be seen with her? He'd always been a private kind of guy, maybe he didn't want to go out, because he didn't want whatever they were to be public (even though they had been out before with friends and he'd been seen at her daddy's farm by pretty much everyone in town anyway.) The thought had her pausing, her insides going cold.

That couldn't be it. Could it? He'd just shared his past with her, he couldn't possibly be trying to close himself off from her, could he? Her insides instantly rejected the idea, but a little voice in the back of her head whispered to her; _he doesn't want to go out, because that makes everything official._ He doesn't want to be tied down. While her common sense could rule out the idea that he was embarrassed to be seen with her, she couldn't quite silence the nagging voice that whispered that they'd never mentioned anything about becoming exclusive (even though she'd been nothing but his since the whole thing started) and maybe that was his major reason for not wanting to go out. He didn't want to tie himself down by going out with her in front of others.

Her stomach bunched and tightened and she felt heat rise up within her. She was angry. There was no way that was true, but how else could she read it? They'd gotten into a habit of going to each other's places and she would cook them dinner (funny how it _always_ seemed to be her doing the cooking) and then they'd do a multitude of different things, depending on what they felt like. But never did they just go out together. Never did they just cruise the town, willing to be seen by others. She froze, rounding on him, her eyes wide and wounded.

He looked at her, completely confused as to why she would be hurt and upset. All he'd done was ask if they could stay in…

"You don't want to go out because you don't want to be seen with me." She whispered and drew her hands up towards her, like she would ward off the cold or a particularly strong, chilly wind. He stared at her dumbfounded.

"What?" Where the hell would she get that idea? How could she get that idea? He wasn't one to run to the rooftops and scream that he liked her and was with her, but he definitely wasn't hiding it. Hell, if he'd wanted to hide it he wouldn't have gone to the barbecue for the Fourth. Everyone in town had been at that damn party and had seen them together. Hell, most of the party had heard Glenn's slip-up calling him her boyfriend and no one even batted an eyelash.

"You don't wanna be seen in public with me!" She accused, and again he stared at her like she'd grown a second head. She made a move to walk past him and leave the apartment, but he reached for her causing her to stop and turn. Her hurt, watery, blue orbs looked up at him.

"Are you crazy?" He snapped, starting to get irritated. Beth was usually so level-headed. To have her fly off the handle like this, jump to wild conclusions- it was so unusual he was worried. "Where'n the hell would you get a dumb idea like that?" He winced. _That_ was not what he meant to say, or rather, not _how_ he meant to say it. She scowled at him, he'd never seen the full brunt of her anger directed at him, and frankly it was terrifying. This girl held the delicate remnants of the heart he'd walled away forever in her hand and she could kill him with just one word. How did she not know just how _important_ she was to him?

"Well, what else am I supposed to think?" Her finger came out and poked him in the chest. "We go over to each other's homes, _I_ make dinner, we fool around, and then we go our separate ways! We never go out, we never see our friends. What else could it be?" She crossed her arms in front of her, willing the tears to go away. She didn't want to cry in front of him. How could he be so cruel? He took a deep breath and grabbed his leather jacket and wallet before moving towards the door.

"You wanna go out, we'll go out." He reached for the doorknob. She frowned even more. This wasn't what she wanted. She didn't want him to go out just to prove a point.

"No. I'm going home. If you don't wanna go out with me, I'm not going to force you." He rounded on her so fast it made her jerk and take a couple hasty steps back. He'd never hurt her, and she knew that, never really felt like he would, at least not on purpose, but she was scared he'd run into her if she didn't move out of the way. As she moved back he only moved closer to her, his face a perfect impassive mask, and it made her stomach flip. She didn't like when his face was closed off like this. She liked being able to see what he was feeling on his face, because good lord the man never actually said anything about emotions.

"You wanna go home, then go home. But just so we're clear, I had planned on stayin' in and making you dinner tonight. I ain't much of a cook, but I can make a few things, and I wanted to do that. For you." She instantly felt contrite and foolish. What the hell _had_ she been thinking? "This ain't gotta be complicated, Beth. I wanted to stay in to do something nice for you. Not because I wanna hide…this." He finished lamely as he motioned between the two of them. He watched as her eyes clouded over, her mouth flapping helplessly like she wanted to say something but didn't know quite what to say.

"Oh…" The single syllable hung in the air between them. His eyes running over her, trying to work out in his head how they got to this in the span of just a couple minutes. Not five minutes ago he was happy and excited to see her, and now he felt like the rug had been taken out from under him. "I'm so sorry, Daryl. I just…I dunno what's wrong with me." Temporary insanity. Was that a thing? She was totally going to say that was a thing, and she suffered from it on occasion.  
"Let's stay in. I'd love to do dinner with you here." She offered, reaching for his hand.

"Nah, let's go out." He mumbled, stuffing his hands in his pocket. She felt a sting as she watched him slide his hands into his pockets.

"Daryl, if you wanna stay in, we can stay in." She looked at him, biting back another apology. He sighed.

"Beth, I just want this to stop." When she froze he pushed on, "We don't fight, and this isn't how I wanna spend tonight. Let's go out, we'll get some food and figure it out from there." She looked at him dubiously.

"Are you sure?"

"I told you, I don't do things I don't wanna…" He smirked at her and she smiled at up at him. He reached out and took her hand gently, "C'mon. I'm hungry." The feeling of his rough hand taking hers had Beth smiling so big her cheeks hurt. She didn't think she'd ever been as upset as when he shoved his hands in his pockets, not allowing her to touch him. She didn't realize how much comfort just holding his hand gave her.

The walk to the diner was quick (getting to anything in this town was quick) and they ate and laughed and talked until the sun had set. She looked at him from her perch across the booth. "So what do you wanna do now?" He asked as he sipped his water. She bit her lip and looked around.

"Honestly, can we just go back your place?" He sized her up before giving her a quick nod. They both slid out of the booth and made their way outside into the sticky summer night. Her eyes floated around the street, flitting from one thing to another, until she felt his hand take hers gently. When she looked to him, she found his eyes averted and could tell he was embarrassed. She smiled to herself and threaded her fingers with his.

Daryl could feel the tips of his ears burning as he took her hand in his. He felt her eyes on him, but refused to look at her and see the teasing look on her face. When her fingers threaded through his he let himself smile. The start of the night had been rough, but this somehow made it worth it.

~~~  
Beth sat curled up next to Daryl, trying desperately to keep her eyes open. She was so tired, but she didn't want to fall asleep. Without any warning, Daryl shifted, drawing his arms around her and lifting her up as he stood. She wiggled a little and gave an undignified grumble as he made his way towards his bedroom. "Daryl, put me down. I need to get home." He just grumbled something under his breath as he set her on the bed.

"You can stay…you know. Ain't always gotta head home at the end of the night." He pulled his shirt off carelessly, without thinking, and dropped onto the bed next to her. She stilled and looked at him. Was he really saying she could stay the night, here, with him? She leaned over and pressed a kiss to the side of his face.

"Thank you Daryl." She wiggled out of her jeans, letting them fall off the side of the bed onto the floor. She slid in next to him, under the covers, and hesitantly slid her arm over his side and tucked her head up under his chin. His hands settled on the back of her head, readjusting her so she was laying on his bicep, and the other on the small of her back, their legs tangled together under the covers. Beth shut her eyes, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart so she could sleep. She took a deep breath and kissed his throat softly. "Good night."

"G'night." He rumbled. His arms tightened around her and she smiled. Tonight was a good night.


	14. Chapter 14

Daryl awoke to the feeling of Beth pressing a light kiss to his temple as she rolled out of bed. He was only half asleep when he registered she'd made her way to the bathroom and was currently brushing her teeth (or at least he assumed she was brushing her teeth judging by the sound of the running water). His eyes darted to the clock and he grimaced. It wasn't even five in the morning yet! He grunted and rolled back over, his foggy mind dragging him back to sleep for another hour.  
When he woke again, it was to a too quiet, too still apartment. There was no lingering sound of singing, no hint of feminine footsteps in the front room. It was completely silent, and for some reason that irked him and made him scowl. With a grumble he rolled out of bed and trudged into the, now empty, bathroom. His eyes immediately landed on the toothbrush holder, noting the blue toothbrush sitting in the holder next to his. He knew it was Beth's and had seen it every day for the past couple weeks. He knew, deep down, it made more sense for her to keep a spare toothbrush here at his place since she spent most of her time here anyway, but for some reason it made him scowl. He let out a breath, swiping at his eyes to try to clear the sleep. _It's just a damn toothbrush_ he reasoned as he pulled his out of the cup to start brushing his teeth.

After he brushed his teeth and tamed his messy bedhead, he made his way back into his room. He noticed that her side of the bed was neatly made, where as his was still rumpled from him rolling out of it. He gritted his teeth. _When did she start getting a side of the bed?_ He sniffed indignantly as he moved to his dresser and pulled out his work clothes. He pulled his shirt over his head before slinging his pants up around his hips. He could feel the tension in his shoulders and stopped, taking a deep breath. He was acting stupid. There was no reason for him to get so bent out of shape about a damn toothbrush and which side of the bed she slept on. He ran a hand over his eyes and shook his head. He just needed to calm down.

He pulled a coffee mug down from the cabinet in the kitchen and poured himself some of the brew Beth had made before she left. He reached for the little canister of sugar by the coffee pot and froze. "What the hell?" He picked up the little clear canister that had 'sugar' written in Beth's loopy scrawl on the front of it and examined it. When the hell had she put this out? He tried to remember. He'd been using it for so damn long, he couldn't remember when she'd brought it over. A short conversation popped into his mind and he tried desperately to remember.

 _"I brought this little sugar container over. I hope you don't mind." He grunted at her. "I just figured it would make it easier in the morning. This way you don't have to lug down the big sugar bag every time." She'd smiled at him and he'd nodded. It made sense, and it was only a little jar. He could stand a little plastic jar on the counter by the coffee pot._

Daryl let out a grumble. It was just a plastic container but it felt like so much more. Nothing she did, or moved, or added, was anything bad, but Daryl couldn't help but feel annoyed. It felt like she was trying to take care of him. Daryl wasn't a kid. He didn't need anyone to take care of him. He was doing just fine taking care of himself.

He drained the coffee in his cup, opting to leave it on the counter rather than put it in the sink, because this was his apartment dammit. He could leave his coffee mug on the counter if he damn well pleased. He turned, snagged up his keys and wallet and left his apartment, hoping this crappy mood would pass at work.

It didn't. Daryl spent the whole day trying _not_ to think about Beth and her tendencies to coddle him, which prompted those thoughts to be the only things circling his head all day. It didn't help that Abraham seemed to be in a crappy mood too.

"What's with women?" Abe griped as he moved around the 'room' they were framing and studding. Daryl just looked at him. "Rosita's been on a kick lately, and it's driving me a bit nuts." Daryl nodded, offering an 'mm' as they continued to measure the wood and line up the two-by-fours for nailing. "She's been harping on me about how it feels like all we do is screw or fight." Daryl paused, his eyes turning to the man he would loosely term his friend. "I mean, we've had a go at it a couple times, but its not like that's all we do. And it isn't even like it's over important shit. 'Where's the new shampoo? Why do we have to watch _this_ show?' I feel like she's turning into my mom rather than my girl. You know?" Abraham grumbled. "I'm a grown ass man. If I want to eat mini-raviolis out of a can, I'm gonna eat mini-raviolis out of the damn can. The woman can be such a nag."

"Least you can call 'er your woman." Daryl muttered under his breath. Abe froze and looked over at Daryl.

"You mean, you and Beth ain't made this shit official yet?" Daryl just shook his head. "Why the hell not?"

"Ain't come up." Daryl had to admit, it wasn't a complete lie. It had never really come up that he wanted them to be 'official' only that she didn't want to be a one night stand. They'd firmly slipped into booty-call, or friends-with-benefits, and he couldn't see a way into 'official' territory without spooking her like a wild horse. Hell, the Fourth had been bad enough, and he wasn't going to repeat that fiasco again. He liked being able to see her and have her over whenever either of them pleased, thank you very much.

"You're walking dangerous territory my friend. All women wanna be official, even the ones that say they don't." Daryl snorted. Abe had very obviously never talked to Beth on the situation of her being 'with' a Dixon. "And they go and change on ya. Tryin' to change you and making you into what they think their mama would approve of."

"I don't think anyone's mama would approve of you Abe." Daryl grinned and Abe let out a quick guffaw of laughter.

"You aren't wrong about that." He grinned and continued to chuckle. Daryl shook his head as thoughts started to swirl in his mind. Was that what Beth was doing? Was she trying to 'fix' him? Well, he'd be damned if that was going to happen. He didn't need fixing! He had been doing just fine on his own. He could take care of himself, and he didn't need Beth coming around and poking her nose where she didn't intend to stay.

Beth heaved a sigh as she slung her backpack, full of clothes and small bottles of shampoo and conditioner, onto her back. She walked up the stairs and opened the front door, letting herself into the kitchen, closing the door behind her. They'd long ago agreed (albeit never verbally) that neither one of them needed to knock anymore. They both just let themselves into the other's place whenever they arrived (as long as the other left the door unlocked). They hadn't swapped keys, but Beth had an extra copy of her apartment key ready on her ring for him whenever she could work up the courage to give it to him without making him feel like she was labeling them.

She pretty much considered him her…her what? Her _boyfriend_? Her _lover_? Those both sounded ridiculous. He was just Daryl. He was _her_ Daryl, and while he may not want to put a label on what they were, she did. So she did it in her mind. Calling him _hers_ , and thinking things were _theirs_ , and that she was nobody else's but _his_. She was hoping that given enough time, she would work him into the idea that maybe, just maybe, being with _just_ her wouldn't be so bad. (Not that he'd been with anyone else that she knew of so far, mind you.) She set her bag down in the hallway, intending to take it with her into the bedroom, where she could hear Daryl getting out of the shower and messing around in his dresser.

She heard him amble his way down the hall and stop to stare at her while she moved around his small kitchen. "Hey, Daryl." She said, without looking, as she moved around pulling out ingredients from the fridge and dishes she would need to make dinner. "I picked up a special skillet today so I could make dinner. It's cast-iron. I know you have one, but it's just so small, I knew I wouldn't be able to fit all the food inside it." He grunted, and she missed the frown he tossed her way. "I also saw this really pretty potted plant, well it's more of a succulent than a regular plant, but I saw it and it made me think of you." She paused and pointed over to the green succulent plant now sitting on the counter of his kitchen. It looked like a flower where each petal had a single point on it. "It doesn't need much watering, but it will need to be moved into a bigger pot when this one gets too small, usually once a year, but I can help you do that when we need to move it." She paused and smiled over at him, only to have her smile fall as she noticed the dark expression on his face.

Daryl was practically boiling inside. After his crappy day, waking up to a house that was too quiet, noticing how she'd put her touch on almost everything in his home, listening to Abe talk about how Rosita was changing him around, and now she was bringing over cookware and plants; he couldn't hold in the irritation anymore. "You know, you ain't gotta always do that." He grumbled and she stilled, watching him warily.

"Do what?" She asked slowly, as if the wrong question or response would send him off the deep end.

"You ain't always gotta come over her and try to take care of me." He crossed his hands in front of him. "I ain't no kid Beth, and you ain't gotta take care of me. Buyin' shit for my place, organizing things, the damn plant." Beth jerked back as if he'd smacked her and it only made him get madder. He'd never raised a hand towards her, and rarely even raised his voice. She had no reason to react like she was suddenly scared he'd come at her, fists flying. She should know better. "I've been taking care of myself since I was fourteen years old Beth. A helluvalot longer'n I've known you. I don't need you comin' in here and changing everything around." She held up her hands to try to calm him down.

"It's alright Daryl. I can take the plant back to my place. If you really don't want it. I just…I saw it and I thought of you, and I thought you might like it." Her voice was soft but clipped, belying the calm tone she was trying to achieve. She was riled up, just like him, but she was trying to hold it together.

"That ain't _it_ Beth." He growled and he saw the anger flicker to her eyes.

"Then what is _it_ , Daryl? Because as far as I can see, I ain't done nothing wrong; nothing new, and you're rip roaring and ready to go over some dumb plant and a pan. Please, enlighten me as to what I've done to piss you off." She growled right back, hands on her hips, and dinner fixings completely forgotten.

"You really don't see how you're walking around trying to change everything?" She just quirked an eyebrow, "I got a blue toothbrush in my bathroom that ain't mine. I have a plant on my counter that I've never seen before. I have a _damn_ sugar jar for my coffee in the morning." She just continued to stare at him, eyes hard and angry. "A _sugar jar_ Beth!"

"You've been using that dumb sugar jar for I don't know how long. If you don't like it, throw it away. It's just a dumb sugar jar!"

"That ain't _it_ , Beth."

"Then what _is_ it?" She yelled, at the end of her rope and feeling almost completely convinced he'd lost his damn mind.

"Where do you get off? You come over here, and act like I need you to take care of me." She marched her way towards him, intent on cutting him off, but he was going to get this out. This weird ball of frustration had been choking him all day and he needed to get it out. "You buy things because they make you think of me, but it ain't like I'm your damn boyfriend!" Her eyes widened and then narrowed at him.

"Yeah, well would it really be so bad to actually acknowledge that maybe you _should be_ my damn boyfriend?" She yelled before turning on her heel, leaving everything as it sat, picked up her backpack and marched out the door. She wasn't about to sit there and watch him melt down at the idea of being something more for her, _with_ her. She'd made herself a promise that she wasn't going to pressure him, but dammit if he wasn't being the most ungrateful ass she'd ever met. She hopped into her car, turned it on, and drove off without a backward glance. She needed to calm down, he needed to pull his head out of his ass and she was going to give him some time to do that.

Daryl stared after her, not moving, in his apartment, her angry words still ringing in his head. _Yeah, well would it really be so bad to actually acknowledge that maybe you should be my damn boyfriend?_ Did that mean she wanted to be with him? Did that mean she wanted more than what they currently already were? _But all the signs!_ The little voice in his mind taunted. The signs be damned. Maybe he'd been too focused on what he _thought_ everything meant, rather than what everything actually meant. Maybe Beth did want to be with him, and had been nervous about how he'd react? He thought back to the Fourth and replayed the whole situation with Glenn. Him freezing and her brushing it off. "Well, hell." He cursed under his breath before moving his sluggish feet to carry him out of his apartment, and down the hall to the parking lot. It was no use. She was already gone. He weighed his options.

Beth had been pretty upset. More upset than he'd seen ever. He didn't think she'd be happy to see him tonight. He'd go see her tomorrow, and talk to her. Lord knew that was what they needed to do. With how much they talked before, they'd never really discussed the important stuff. He was determined to do that tomorrow, come hell or high water.


	15. Chapter 15

Beth opened her apartment door, and quirked her eyebrow as she looked at the person on the other side. She eyed Daryl up and down, telling him very strongly with her eyes she was about 3000% done with his bullshit. He reached up to touch her, but thought better of it and roughly shoved his hands in his pocket.

"Can we talk?" He mumbled, visibly uncomfortable. Beth blinked, the annoyed look never leaving her features. Her hand fell away from the door as she turned and walked farther into her apartment, letting him come in as he pleased. Last night she'd come home in a huff and flurry after her argument with Daryl, and she could still see evidence of it even though she'd tried to clean up her mess as best she could. She'd definitely tossed a few things around (nothing to cause damage, but enough to help vent her anger.) She'd spent most of the day cleaning up her mess. The next thing she knew it was evening and rather than go out she'd pulled on an over-sized t-shirt and a pair of barely-there sleep shorts. She hadn't planned on seeing Daryl tonight; not after last night. He'd been an ass and she'd finally hit her breaking point. Everyone deserved their freak out moment. She'd had one, and knew he was bound to have one, but last night had been ridiculous. He'd freaked out over a sugar jar. A sugar jar and a damn plant. She sat down on her couch, facing him, feet drawn up and folded underneath her. She crossed her arms over herself, her baggy sleep shirt hanging limply from one shoulder and falling lightly off the other.

His eyes roved around the apartment before falling back to her. He fidgeted under her scrutinizing gaze. "So…talk." She snarked and he grimaced. _Yeah, she was still pissed._

"Beth, I…" He started and felt the tips of his ears burn. " 'M sorry." He mumbled and watched as she blinked at him, her look of irritation not moving from her delicate features.

"Ok." She said flatly.

"Ok?" He looked at her and knew she wasn't alright.

"Yeah." Her words were clipped and he could almost feel her anger mounting. "You're allowed to be sorry." He just looked at her. "Anything else?" He blinked, unable to form words. He'd royally messed up.

"You're still mad." He said dumbly, and the minute the words left his mouth he felt as stupid as they sounded.

"You're damn right I'm still mad." She shot up off the couch. "You go and treat me like I matter, like I'm something special, make me feel like we could be something special…and then you freak out on me about a plant!"

"And the sugar jar." He just about bit his damn tongue off when he realized he'd opened his mouth and only added more for her to be mad at him about. Her face morphed.

"Yes, and the sugar jar." She glared at him. "Can't forget the damn sugar jar! The sugar that has sat on your counter for months, that you use every day. The sugar jar that is _just_ a stupid sugar jar not some crazy hidden attempt to change you." She took a breath but couldn't quite calm herself. "I know everyone has their moments. I had one and I knew you were bound to have one too, but I didn't expect you to flip over the damn plant… _and don't forget the sugar jar._ " She added sarcastically as she waved her hand around. "I'm not trying to change you. I'm not trying to make this more'n you're ready for. I don't want more than you are ready for. I don't want that from you…"

"What _do_ you want from me girl?" He growled. He was trying to apologize and make everything better, and she wasn't letting him do that. He already felt like crap and she was making it so much worse.

"I want you to just stop. Stop acting like you actually care and then like you don't give a crap about any thing. Like nothing we've done, nothing we've gone through matters to you." His eyes widened and he looked at her.

"Is that what you think?"

"It's what I know. I know everything is confusing and hard, and I know you've gone through some stuff that makes this even harder, but you don't get to treat me like crap just because you're afraid." She unloaded, panting between sentences. "It's bullshit!"

"You're right." He said lowly in his throat. "If you think I don't give a crap 'bout you, about whatever this is going on between us, then you're right. That is bullshit. If you think I've treated you like crap, than you're right. That is bullshit." She stared at him, a bit confused as to what exactly he was saying. "You are the single most important person to me, Beth." He said, his voice raspy and wavering; unsure about what he was saying. He knew what he wanted to say, but as always, he lacked the real understanding of what to say. "Y'have been for so long I can't remember anything else." He ran a frustrated hand through his messy hair. "I'm shit at this, Beth. There ain't never been anyone who _wanted_ me, and then you popped up, like some fuckin' ray of sunshine. All bubbly and happy." He met her eyes. "Thing is, I knew. I _knew_ from the beginning that there was no way someone like you would wanna be anything with me." Her temper flared.

" _Someone_ like _me_?" She snipped and he had to fight not to roll his eyes.

"Yeah. You're so good, and sweet, and so much better'n me." She froze as she watched him, understanding dawning in her eyes. He'd _never_ thought he was good enough for her… "I always figured you'd wise up and realize you never wanted to have anything to do with someone like me…" Before she could open her mouth to ask, he clarified. "Someone gruff, and rough around the edges. A _Dixon_. You may not care, but that name ain't nothing good and everyone else in this town knows it. I figured you were just havin' you're fun before you went off to be with someone else." The look in her eyes made him rush through. "But the more I was around you, deep down I knew better, but…Beth, I don't get nothing good. That ain't a privilege a Dixon gets."

"How could you think I didn't want to be with you?" Her voice was soft, hedging on hopeful.

"First, you were going away to school…figured this was a summer thing and then you'd leave. Then the whole thing with Glenn…and it's always been 'friends'." He rumbled, watching her face closely. She stared at him blankly, dots quickly connecting and the picture became strikingly clear.

"I-I thought you didn't want this to be serious. Anytime anything sounding like boyfriend or relationship came up you got skittish. I didn't want to push." She fidgeted with the hem of her shirt. He smirked at her.

"C'mere Greene." She bit her lip and walked over to stand just in front of him and they stared at each other for a heartbeat. His hand gently came up to her jaw and his fingertips skimmed her skin before his lips came down to hers. Her arms slid around his shoulders as she stood up on tiptoes to press her lips more firmly to his. She let out a groan as his hands slid to her hips, pressing her ever closer to him. His lips left her and he smiled down at her. "I ain't your damn boyfriend, Greene." His tone was rough and teasing and she couldn't help but smile up at him before pulling his face down to her. A hairs breadth away from him she breathed out softly.

"Do you wanna be?" He searched her face for a second, the corners of his lips turned up slightly.

"Yeah…I think I do." And with that his lips crashed down on hers. He could feel her smile as their lips battled one another, tongues lashing out to tease at lips and slide together in a liquid dance that made his heart thunder in his chest and his blood boil. His knees bent and his hands slid down to the back of her thighs, lifting her up. Her legs wrapped around his waist, tiny sleep shorts stretching against her skin beneath his hands and he knew they would be the first thing he peeled from her body.

With quick, sure steps he walked to her bed, dropping her down onto the nest of blankets and sheets. She let out a groan at the loss of contact with his body, but watched with hooded eyes as his hands went to the top of her sleep shorts and slowly peeled them off of her, letting them fall to the floor at his feet, leaving her cotton panties in place. His fingers started at her knees, gently skimming over her creamy skin until goosebumps formed along her thighs. She wiggled as he neared the apex of her thighs and bit back a groan of disappointment when his hands jumped from her thighs to smooth up her tummy, under her shirt. He knelt between her legs, gently nudging them apart to make room of his shoulders, as his lips kissed first one knee, and then the other. His tongue darted out to trace lazy circle up her thighs before closing his lips and sucking lightly on her flesh; just a second or two. He didn't want to leave marks, at least not where everyone could see, and right now, during summer, everyone would see her legs. He'd just have to find somewhere else to put his mark.

His kisses and nips volleyed from one leg to the other as he moved from her knees up her legs. Once again he by passed touching the part of her that ached for him, his lips falling on the flat of her stomach, just above the elastic waistband of her panties. His hands slowly inched their way up, dragging the shirt up her ribs until she was bare from pelvis to the bottom of her breasts. His lips followed the path his hands had taken, kissing along her stomach, pausing to dip his tongue lightly at her belly button, and then continue their upward trek past her ribs. His fingers stroked the skin between her breasts, watching her face as her eyes shut and she arched up into his touch. Her hands gripped his shoulders, gently tugging on the soft fabric of his shirt. With a quick shrug he pulled the shirt up over his head and tossed it to the floor. She sat up, following his motions, hands gliding over his heated skin. Her mouth came to his chest, mimicking his actions by kissing and nibbling her away across the expanse now bared to her.

He lifted her shirt up and over her head, vaguely registering it landing somewhere in the pile of covers behind her. Her lips came to his, hands framing his jaw as she slowly sank back against the bed, pulling him over her. He leaned back to smile down at her. She was gloriously beautiful. His hands moved up over her ribs to her breasts, fingers gently pinching and circling her nipples. She let out a sigh, her legs coming up to frame his hips, and stretched up to kiss him. He kissed her lips, along her jaw and down her neck, loving the taste of her skin on his tongue. His lips latched on to her nipple, rolling it along the flat of his tongue, as he listened to her sigh and moan. Her fingers tangled in his hair, pressing him closer to her as pleasure shot through her.

She wanted him so bad, the tension was singing through her like electricity under her skin, and made her wet, hot and ready. It seemed like an eternity, an amazingly pleasurable eternity, before his lips left her breasts and started their downward trail to where she ached for him. His fingers hooked the waistband of her panties and tugged them down. He looked up the length of her body, smiling at the way she was panting with want. His eyes connected with hers and he watched her as his tongue darted out to flick at the swollen slick bud nestled beneath her blond curls. Her eyes slammed shut as a shout of pleasure was ripped from her lips.

Daryl slung a leg over his shoulder as he bared down on her, loving the way she cried out for him as the pleasure mounted within her. He could tell with every swipe of his tongue she was getting closer. Without warning he moved a finger, pressing it into her, and he felt her stiffen. He moved his hand in time with his mouth and was rewarded with her hands tightening in his hair, and her body freezing as his name stole her breath. He felt her muscles flutter against his finger and grinned into her.

With a tug on the hair wrapped around her fingers he moved up her body, dropping her leg by his side, and kissed her lips. He felt her fingers release his hair and squeeze between them to quickly undo the button of his pants. With nimble fingers she pushed his jeans down his legs, pushing them completely off with her legs and feet. She felt him land against her, hot and heavy, and it made her heart beat a rapid tattoo in her chest. She looked into his face carefully, studying him. "Please Daryl…" she panted out drawing her knees against his hips, her hands sliding up over his shoulders to cup his face. With a quick nod he positioned himself and surged forward, feeling her tight muscles welcome him into her heat.

The groan that escaped his throat was the most erotic thing Beth had ever heard. He caught her leg on his arm, her knee settling in the crook of his elbow, and began to move within her. Her breathing hitched at the new friction the position caused and it filled her with pleasure. She wrapped her other leg around his waist, arms twining around his shoulders as she panted and sighed and met him thrust for pleasurable thrust. He'd already taken her over the edge, but she could tell she was rapidly approaching again.

Her nails bit into the skin of his shoulders and Daryl reveled in it. The sound of her voice floated to his ears and he latched on to every pretty sound coming from those lips. Sounds like moans and groans and "Yes, Daryl..just like that." or "Yes, keep going. Don't stop." She kissed his shoulder and he felt her stiffened beneath him and he silently thanked whatever god might be listening. He wasn't going to make it much longer, and didn't want to leave her behind. When she hissed out his name, his lips crashed down on hers and felt the waves of pleasure pulse through him. His arms gave out and he sunk down over her, loving that her arms tightened around him and she welcomed his weight.

After a moment they righted their positions on the bed and Daryl scooped Beth against his front, cushioning her head on one of his biceps while his free hand fell over her naked side and hip. He felt Beth press her lips to his arm. "Good night Daryl." She murmured sleepily. He grunted before squeezing her hip.

"G'night Beth."


	16. Chapter 16

Daryl sighed tiredly as he trudged up the stairs towards his apartment. He'd worked himself to the bone today, trying to meet the deadline to have the roof done for their latest residential project, and was very much looking forward to getting home, clean and lounging on the couch. As he rounded the corner to his apartment he stopped dead in his tracks.

Beth sat neatly folded against the wall of the hallway, her little overnight bag sitting next to her, fiddling with her phone. She heard heavy boot-steps that seemed to slam to a stop rounding the corner and looked up with a bright smile on her face as Daryl came into view. Her smile faltered when she noticed the look of surprise flit across his face, followed by dawning realization and then horror, settling on the dark lines of guilt. She quickly scrambled to her feet, trying to keep the big grin on her face.

Daryl couldn't make his heavy limbs move as he watched her smile and stand up, clearly happy to see him. He felt like the world's biggest shmuck. He'd asked Beth to come over tonight since tomorrow was his day off and they were going to go out and watch a movie. He'd asked her to meet at his place around five, and knew he hadn't even left the work site until almost six. She'd been sitting in his hallway, unable to get into his apartment, for over an hour. His feet started to move slowly, as if he was walking towards his doom. "Hey!" She quipped, taking his hand gently as his other fished his keys out of his pocket. "You ok?" He could see the concern etched in his features, and he instantly felt worse. He'd completely forgotten about their plans while he'd been working, had left her stranded in his hallway for over an hour, and she was worried about him. He grumbled out a non-committal sound, not trusting his voice. He knew if it had been him, he'd have been pissed. "Daryl…" She called as he swung the door wide. "Talk to me."

"Why didn't you leave?" He heard himself say before he could think better of it. "I mean, ya didn't have to sit in the hallway all night because I'm an idiot and forgot." She looked startled but then a slow smile crept to her face.

"Don't worry about it, Daryl. I had some things to fill out that I was able to get done. It's not a big deal." She tried to soothe as she walked into his apartment, flicking on lights as she went.

"It is a big deal, Beth." He followed her inside, closing the door behind him. "You sat in the hallway for over an hour. Why didn't you just go home, or at least somewhere a little…I dunno. Safer?" Her cheeks instantly pinked, and he felt the familiar feeling of his stomach doing flip-flops. She was so cute when she did that.

"I took the bus." She said quietly. If he'd felt bad before, he felt like crap now. The buses ran on an hourly system (since the town was so damn small) and if she'd taken the bus here, then she wouldn't have been able to hitch a bus back for at least another hour, and with it being almost six thirty on a Friday night, that meant buses were on their weekend schedule, combining routes and dropping pick up time down to an hour and a half between rounds. His stomach started to churn as he stared at her, feeling absolutely horrible. "Daryl, it isn't a big deal." She promised. "Look, why don't you go get a shower, you'll feel better and we'll eat dinner and you don't have to worry about it anymore." He just stared at her.

"I'm sorry." He mumbled quietly and she quirked her head, showing he hadn't understood him. "I'm sorry I forgot 'bout the plans and left you outside." His hands started to push themselves into his pockets. She smiled at him, which only served to make him feel worse.

"I told you it's alright."

"Yeah, well you should be madder'n hell." He said quickly. She shook her head and then slowly took a step towards him, and then another until she was damn near pressed against him. She stretched up on her tip-toes and pressed her lips lightly to his. Delicately his slid his hands from out of his pockets and up her back to cradle her close to him. The minute her tongue traced the seam of his lips he was lost. His hands gripped the back of her yellow shirt, the bright fabric bunching between his tightly clench fingers as if he was trying to keep her from getting away. He could feel her pressed against him and instantly he wanted her. Hell, just looking at her made him want her if he was being completely honest.

Beth's tongue slid against his, the wet smooth glide making them both almost weak in the knees. Gently she pulled back to look at him with hooded eyes. "Go take a shower, you'll feel better. I promise. When you get out we can head to the diner and do dinner." He made a rumbling sound that she took as a positive sound and started to disentangle herself from him, but was startled to find he wasn't letting her go. She looked up at him in question, and the heat in his eyes took her breath away. She could feel him pressing insistently against her belly through the layers of clothing they had on. "Or we could…shower together." She said a bit breathlessly. He gave her a wicked grin and leaned down to capture her lips again, his hands sliding down to the backs of her legs and hoisting her up into his arms, as she wrapped her legs around him.

She felt him start to shift and move beneath her and before she knew it he was carrying her down the hall and into the bathroom. He set her down on the rim of the sink, unconsciously grinding into her as their tongues rasped against each other. His hands moved down to the hem of her yellow shirt and quickly ripped it up over her head, flinging it across the bathroom to land in a puddle against the wall. Her hands came to the flat of his belly, hot fingertips sliding up under his shirt, pressing lightly against the skin above his pants. He let out a groan as his hands came to cradle her head, holding her close. She pushed against his stomach, pulling her face away with a little smirk that made him want to kiss her again. Her fingers undid the button of his pants as she stretched up to whisper in his ear. "You need to start the water." She whispered hotly before placing an open mouthed kiss against his neck.

He groaned again and reluctantly turned to turn on the water, adjusting the heat of the spray so that neither of them would be scalded when they got in. When he turned back around Beth was on her feet, pants sliding down her legs to a crumpled mess at her feet. Her eyes, which had darkened to an amazingly brilliant shade of blue, were practically eating him alive. With shaky hands he reached up and pulled his shirt over his head and let the material fall from his hands to the floor. He kicked his shoes off hastily, stumbling ungracefully for a moment, as he continued to look at Beth, now clad in only her bra and panties. That amazing flush was spreading not just from her face but all the way down to her chest.

He watched as she licked her lips. His hands came up to pull at the waistband of his pants, drawing the zipper down, and he pushed them down his hips. It was surreal to be undressing in front of Beth, and watching her undress in front of him, but the moment her hands came up to unclasp her bra it all crashed down on him that this was real. This was all real and he was the luckiest son-of-a-bitch on the planet. The thin white fabric fell away from her skin and Daryl felt himself suck in a quick breath, but she didn't stop there. Her fingers quickly hooked into the elastic of her panties and dragged them down her long pale legs. Daryl stood there dumbly, unable to pull his eyes away from her. With a quiet giggle she moved forward, kicking her jeans and panties completely off her ankles with each step. She made even _that_ look sexy. She pressed her body against his, her fingers hooking in the waistband of his underwear and dragging them down until gravity could take them down the rest of the way.

His arousal jumped free and poked her in the stomach, hard, hot and insistent, as she pulled his face down to her to kiss him. He wrapped his arms around her and wordlessly turned to place her in the shower under the warm spray of water. He followed quickly, dragging the curtain closed and engulfing them in steamy warm mist. He watched as she stood under the spray of the shower head and wet her incredibly long and glorious hair before taking some of his shampoo and lathering it into her mane. She rinsed and then looked over at him pointedly. "You need to get over here so we can get you clean." She tipped her head back again before grabbing his head and pulling him under the spray. Gently she wet his hair before lathering him up with shampoo as well. She took extra care, scratching lightly, and massaging his scalp as she worked the shampoo into his hair. He wanted to purr it felt so good.

His eyes closed as she slid her soapy hands through his hair, nails lightly raking against the skin at the nape of his neck. Her hot breath rolled over his ear as she whispered a deep, "Rinse." He slit his eyes to look at her before tipping his head back and letting the warm water wash the soap from his head. She smiled before grabbing the bar of soap and getting a good lather going. Her hands landed on his chest and she scrubbed over any and all flesh she could reach. He watched her, his eyes practically melting her where she stood. His hands came up to run over her shoulders before down along her ribs and up to cup her breasts. He rolled her nipples against his palms loving the way she arched against him. His head came down to capture one pink nipple in his mouth. She let out a gasp and cradled his head to her as his lips pulled and teeth nipped at the sensitive bud. Deftly he reached down, his hand sliding up the inside of her thigh to the place he most wanted to be. He found her hot and wet and ready and with a growl he pressed her back against the cold tiles of the shower.

She let out a yelp as the cold tiles met her back. Quickly she dragged his face up to hers in a searing kiss. The hand between her legs, teased her fold, slipping beneath the tease the sensitive bud nestled there. Without warning he gripped one of her legs and jerked it up, resting it on the crook of his elbow. She wobbled, but he was there to catch her, and keep her from falling. His lips took hers as he slipped into her body up to the hilt. Her back arched from the tiles as she wrapped her arms around him to anchor herself to him. Tongues lashed each other as he pulled back, thrusting back quickly. This wasn't going to be tender and sweet. This was going to be hard and hungry and oh God. She whimpered and dug her nails into his shoulder, wrenching her lips away from his to pant and sigh as the pleasure mounted.

"Faster." She cried and groaned when his hips sped up causing pleasure to scream through her. She wasn't going to last much longer. "Oh god, yes. Daryl." She whimpered. "Yes, just like that." He grunted into her shoulder, stifling a groan as his own pleasure filtered up his spine. Her nails bit into his skin but it only fueled him on faster. It was a matter of moments before he felt her tighten around him and heard her shriek her pleasure. Without thinking he pulled out of her body and emptied himself on her stomach, groaning and gripping her tightly. His head came down to rest on her shoulder as her arms came around him, holding him close enough to feel her rapidly beating heart against his own chest. He tipped his head up, kissing her quickly before stepping back and letting her leg fall back down. He looked at his mess on her pale skin and felt the tips of his ears burn. He hadn't been thinking so he didn't have a condom at the ready, and they'd already tempted fate enough so far, he didn't want to do it again.

She smiled up at him before shyly squeezing by him to clean herself up. With a tired sigh he stepped out and dried himself off, slinging the towel around his hips. He grabbed a second towel, pausing only for a moment to marvel at the fact that there even was a second towel for her in the bathroom, and then handed it to her as she stepped onto the bathroom rug. Rather than let her dry herself off he quickly ran the towel along her skin and tousled her hair. She let out a giggle as he wrapped the damp fabric around her body and ushered her out into the bedroom. She watched as he put on a pair of pajama pants and a comfortable t-shirt and bit her lip. He stiffened as he looked at her in the mirror over his shoulder. "It ok if we don't go out tonight?" She gave him a quick nod and dug her own pajamas out of her overnight bag, not bothering to fish out her new bra before pulling on the baggy shirt and sleep shorts.

"Totally." She took his hand and pulled him out to the living room, letting him flop onto the couch while she scampered into the kitchen to find something for them to munch on. She settled on a couple mini french-bread pizzas and put them in the oven to crisp up. She walked back to see Daryl holding a stack of papers, flipping through them with a sad distant look on his face. She bit her lip. She knew exactly what he was looking at. He was looking at the college applications she'd brought over to talk with him about. The wounded look on his face made her heart ache but before she could say anything he'd wiped the look from his face and met her eyes.

"College apps?" She nodded.

"I wanted to go over them with you. You know I want to go back…so I figured you'd help me kind of figure out which one was best." He looked back down at the names on the papers he was holding. Only a couple of them were commuting distance (and the term commuting was used loosely - looking almost forty five minutes one way.) He set down the papers and leaned back. "Lemme get the pizzas and we can talk about it."

"What's there to talk about?" His voice was rough, trying to hold his emotions in check. Even after everything she was still leaving. Still going away to school, and leaving him behind in this podunk town, on to bigger and better things. She had no room for him in her life.

"Daryl…" She said softly, pausing only because the over timer dinged. With a quick glance at him she turned and grabbed their dinner out of the oven, sliding them onto plates and made her way back out to the living room. She set their pizzas on the coffee table and sat next to him on the couch. "Daryl," She said as she took his hand in hers. It was limp and he wouldn't grip hers back. "We're a team. I need you to talk to me about this." She searched his face. "Do you not want me to go?"

 _No! I don't want you to leave. I don't want you to leave me here while you go and see what's really out there._ Daryl thought but knew he couldn't say that to her. He wasn't going to stand in the way of her dreams, and college was a big dream of hers. What kind of ass would he be if he tried to keep her from that. "No, I want you to do what you want to do. I ain't gonna stand in the way of that." He rumbled out, and gently curled his fingers around hers. She beamed at him. "But, you need to decide what it is you want, not because it's somethin' I want, but because it's the best for you." The words hurt so much to say because he knew he was all but telling her to leave. To go off without him, and the thought gutted him.

Beth could tell this was upsetting him, but couldn't figure out why. He knew she wanted to go to school, and had never seemed this upset before. She stared at the paper that was on the top of the stack and thought about it, her eyes widening slightly. Atlanta was a good hour away, with no traffic, and if she was staying here it was going to be a hell of a commute, and would cut into any time they may have together, pile on homework and study time…hell she'd barely ever get to see him. Her eyes flashed to him quickly, understanding dawning in heir blue depths. He was upset because she was going to leave and not have time for him anymore. She bit her lip, gently pushing the papers away from them. "Daryl…" She started but he cut her off.

"Look, Beth, I don't want you to make a split decision right now 'cause of me. I want you to think about it, decide and then let me know." He said. She bit her lip. He was right. She needed to figure this out and then let him know because this was the rest of her life. She threw around some ideas in her head before she smiled at him softly. She knew _exactly_ what she was going to do.

They ate their pizza quickly, flipping on tv to watch some silly comedy show, and before either of them knew it, they were both yawning. She rested her head on his shoulder, "Can we go to bed?" He gave her a grunt before quietly turning off the tv. They both stood, Beth scampering off to the bedroom while Daryl made sure the door was locked and all the lights were off. He found her curled up in bed and couldn't help but stare at her for a few extra seconds. He couldn't shrug the feeling that their time was running out. She looked up at him and patted the bed next to her. He smiled and crawled in next to her. He slung his arms around her, pulling her close to him.

"Would you be mad if we didn't…you know…" He could practically see the question mark above her head. "I just kinda wanna lay here and hold you." He could feel his ears and face burning red, but was rewarded when she burrowed deeper into his arms, her head resting over his heart. He gently kissed the top of her head before flipping off the light and falling asleep.

Beth jerked awake as the sun streamed into her eyes. She looked around, slightly disoriented, and realized she was in Daryl's bed, and she was completely alone. She sat up, scrubbing her hands through her hair and wiping at her eyes. She looked towards the bathroom noticing that he wasn't in there. Suddenly, the dim sound of keys in a lock hit her ears and she jumped from the bed, poking her head out into the hall. She heard Daryl make his way into the apartment, kicking the door shut as quietly as he could, and head into the kitchen. She padded quietly up behind him and leaned against the wall.

"Good morning." She smiled at him as he turned around, pink box in hand. "I got donuts." He flipped open the box and handed it over to her. She pulled out a chocolate glazed and watched as he pulled out his own, taking a big bite. She snickered at him.

"What's the occasion for this fine dining experience?" She teased.

"Nothing but the best for you, girl." He grinned at her. "I got something even better." He gushed, setting the box down and walking across the kitchen to grab a mug. He handed it to her and she smiled down at it in surprise.

"You made me coffee?" He shrugged, taking another bite of his donut. "You are amazing. Thank you."

Beth sighed as she walked up to her door. She had a big bag of groceries in her arms. She fished her keys out of her purse and moved to insert them into the lock, pausing when she noticed there was an extra key on her ring. She unlocked the door and walked inside, studying the new addition. Where the hell did this come from? She set her bag down on her counter and fingered the silver key, fishing out her phone when she heard it ringing.

"Hello?"

"Hey." Daryl sounded on the other end. She smiled, even though he couldn't see it, and cradled her phone to her ear. "Want to catch a movie later?" He asked.

"Yeah that sounds great. Maybe around seven?" He grunted into the phone and then it was quiet. "Hey, Daryl…" She waited for his response 'mm' before she continued. "I…uhm…I have an extra key on my keyring. Do you know anything about it?"

"Yeah." He said, sounding shy. "I put it on there."

"Ok. But what does it go to?"

"My place. That way you don't have to wait in the hallway anymore. You can let yourself in if I ever run late from work." He response was terse and she could tell he felt uncomfortable, but she couldn't wipe the smile from her lips. "Not that I'm planning on there being a reason you'd be stuck in the hallway again…but ya know. Just in case." She let out a soft giggle.

"Thank you. It means a lot." He grunted again. "So I'll see you later?" He grunted again. "Alright. Bye."

"Bye." She heard him hang up and looked at her phone. She let out a squeal as she looked at the key to his place. The man was absolutely adorable and man did she love him. She paused and looked at the key, her heart fluttering a bit. She loved him? She smiled and bit her lip. Oh yeah…she loved him alright. There was no doubt about that.


	17. Chapter 17

Daryl took a sip from his beer as he waited for Abe to show up at the bar, watching as Merle made his rounds, hitting on all the barflies that weren't currently plastered against some other dude. Beth was having a girl's night with Rosita and Sasha and Tara, so Abe had asked Daryl to meet him at the bar tonight, to pass the time while the "women folk had their girly time." Not having anything else to do Daryl had agreed. He'd planned on just going alone, but Merle had showed up at his door after work and, well, there was no way Daryl could get rid of him once he'd found out the plans. He watched as Merle took a nice smack to the face from some hussy at the end, looking a little worse for wear, and turned to make his way back to the stool beside Daryl, rubbing his cheek lightly. "Eh…she'll be calling' ol Merle later." He said with a cheesy grin. Daryl shook his head and took a swig of his beer. He watched as the door opened and Abe made his way inside.  
Daryl knew the second Abe's eyes landed on Merle. Abe's shoulders stiffened and his eyes narrowed but he didn't say anything as he made his way over to Daryl. Merle let out a snort, "Get a load of that guy." Merle mumbled to Daryl, "Looks 'bout fit to start swingin'. Wonder what's got his panties in a twist."

"Probably you." Daryl grumbled, tipping his head to Abe. "He did knock you on your ass the last time he saw you." Merle's eyes widened.

"That was him?" Daryl nodded.

"Hey Abe." Daryl said as Abe sat next to him.

"Hey Daryl. Didn't realize you were bring…company." Abe's words were just as stiff as his posture and Daryl could feel his nerves beginning to climb.

"Wasn't plannin' on it, but he showed up and I couldn't get rid of 'im."

"Hey Abe." Merle muttered. "Haven't seen you since you came in swingin'…" Abe narrowed his eyes at him. "Wasn't nothin' personal." He continued.

"Yeah, Merle has this thing where he doesn't know normal interactions with human beings." Abe raised his eyebrows in question. "Yeah it's true. He sees someone pretty and he can't help it…he just opens his damn mouth." Abe let out a snort and signaled to the bartender for a beer which was placed down in front of him quickly.

"Now, I don't have to sit here and be a punchin' bag for you two tonight." Merle griped which caused Daryl to snicker. "Ol' Merle could find any girl in here to entertain him for the night." Merle's eyebrows waggled up and down causing both guys to choke on their beer. Daryl looked to Abe who gave a shrug.

"Nah, Merle, you don't have to go anywhere." Daryl said. "Just don't go hittin' on the women folk that are currently occupied. I don't feel like carryin' your ass home." Merle made a face but settled onto his stool quietly. "So, Abe, what caused Rosie to call for a girls' night?"

"Hell if I know. She's been griping about never getting to see Beth anymore, and with Beth getting ready to go back to school she's gonna see her even less." Daryl froze.

"What do you mean Beth is getting ready to go back to school?" Abe just looked at him. "I mean I know she was applying and all…but did she get accepted somewhere?"

"She ain't told you little brother?" Merle piped up quickly, causing Daryl's face to turn towards him. "She was beaming about the news when I saw her in the dinner this afternoon. Said she'd applied to a bunch of them and got into her number one. Had the best program for what she was lookin' for an' everything." Daryl felt his mood deflate and suddenly all he wanted to do was go home and lock himself inside, alone, to wallow in his grief at the idea that Beth was leaving.

"Nah…she ain't told me yet…" Daryl muttered distractedly. He looked to Abe. "You knew too?"

"She told me right before she kicked me out of the house to hang out with Rosita. She was super excited because she didn't think she'd ever get into Georgia State."

"Georgia State?" Daryl looked up in almost horror. "That's over an hour drive each way." The pieces were clicking together in his head and he could all but see the end of this relationship on the horizon. Why hadn't she told him? He knew exactly why she hadn't told him. She was waiting for the right time to break the news and break his heart. He could feel both sets of eyes on him as he sat there silently. He didn't want to talk about this. He didn't want to focus on the heartache that was coming, knowing the woman he loved was going to leave. He paused, his whole body flooding with ice cold dread. He loved her. Oh shit. He knew it was bound to happen, and they'd been together for almost half a year (albeit unofficially for part of it) and had known each other far longer than that. He just wasn't expecting it to happen already. He picked up his beer, downing it quickly. He wanted to get shit-faced and not think about it. "I need another beer." The bartender slammed one down in front of him and before he could think too much about it, he was downing that one too.

"Easy now baby brother. I know whats goin' through your head, and Beth ain't like that." He noticed Merle and Abe shot each other a look, one he couldn't quite read. "She's gonna tell you, and you two will make it work. She ain't just funnin' you."

"Nah, Daryl, Beth ain't like that. Hell, it's been nothing but 'Daryl this…' and 'Daryl that…' for the longest time. I'm talkin' even before you two became…you two." Daryl felt himself shaking his head. "She ain't playin'. Beth's a good girl, and she isn't going to just leave you high and dry."

"Then explain to me why I'm the last damn person in this town to find out my girlfriend is going to Atlanta for college. Explain that to me." He looked between both guys. "Look, I don't want to talk about it. I just want to get shit-faced and enjoy tonight." Merle nodded and signaled to the bartender. "And I'm gonna do it on my own damn dime, Merle." He growled. He knew he was being ridiculous, but there was some deep and dark part of him that needed to pay for his own drinks to prove he had the ability to take care of himself. He wasn't a complete failure if he could at least pay for his own buzz. He couldn't hold down a decent relationship, but dammit he could get himself drunk. Maybe, just maybe, he could forget that he loved her, and dull the throbbing pain that centered in the general vicinity of his heart. He'd figure out what to do with that in the morning, right now…he needed another beer.

~~~  
Beth sat on the floor, next to Rosita's couch, staring at her friend who was sitting there silently watching her. "What do you mean you're not going away for school?" Rosita snapped. "Don't you dare tell me you are putting off going back for Daryl. You're letting a guy dictate your priorities?" Rosita was livid and Beth had to take a quick breath to calm herself. This wasn't what she'd expected when she'd decided to tell Rosie about her plans for school.

"No, Rosita. You know me. I'm going back to school…but I got into a special program." Rosita looked confused and Beth sighed. "Look, I have wanted to go back to school since I left, so nothing is stopping me from doing that, but I want to give this thing between me and Daryl a real shot." She could feel Rosita's eyes narrowing on her. "So, I enrolled in this special program. It's an 80/20 hybrid program. I do eighty percent online and twenty percent on campus. I still need to be on campus but only once every week." Rosita was still watching her. "It'll take me a little longer, but I'll get my degree with an emphasis this way, and I'll still be able to keep my job, apartment, I'll still get to see you, and Abe, and Daryl." Beth waited for a heartbeat before she jumped at the sound of Rosita's happy squealing.

"Oh my goodness that's amazing!" Rosita launched herself hug Beth. "I'm so glad you're not leaving, and I know Daryl is too." Beth stiffened. "You haven't told him yet. Why haven't you told him yet?"

"I wanted it to be a surprise. I've been accepted but I was waiting for my letter so that I could tell him and explain everything all at once." She smiled.

"You gonna tell him you love him too?" Beth's eyes widened as she looked at Rosita.

"How did-?"

"Girl, I'm not blind. It's pretty obvious." Beth felt her cheeks heat up. "Beth and Daryl sitting in a tree…" Rosita started singing and Beth smacked her with a throw pillow.

"Cut that out!" She giggled. "We're no where near marriage, or baby carriages, but…there could be a taste of that love stuff in the air." She grinned. "I just…Don't say anything." And she felt like she was back in middle school. "I don't want him to get weird if he doesn't…you know. It took forever for us to become 'us.'" Rosita was nodding.

"Well I'm not going to tell him, but you need to." Rosie said quickly, "I bet he'd be a lot more receptive than you think. I think he's just as into you as you are into him." Rosita paused. "Oh man…when did we go back to high school? Gossiping about boys and crushes and wondering if he feels the same about us?" Both girls giggled. "I'm going to finish off our time travel back to high school by grabbing some ice cream. You want any?" Beth nodded quickly as Rosita took off for the kitchen. She could hear her moving around the kitchen and smiled.

Suddenly her phone started ringing. She saw Daryl's name on the caller ID and picked up quickly. "Hey, Daryl. How is guys night?"

"Pretty damn good." She could hear Daryl slurring his words and she could hear both Abe and Merle in the background trying to pilfer the phone from his grip. "Found out my girlfriend got into Georgia State and she's leaving come September." His words rolled over her ears and she could feel herself paling.

"Gimme the phone lil brother." She heard some rustling and then Merle was on the other end. "Hey Sunshine, hows it hanging?" She grumbled into the phone.

"Merle, what the hell is wrong with Daryl?"

"He's just had a little too much to drink is all." Merle answered quickly. "But don't worry, Abe and I are making sure he doesn't do anything questionable." Beth snorted and listened to some more rustling.

"Beth, I'm making sure he doesn't do anything stupid…I think given Merle's track record, I'm the safest bet. You don't have to worry Beth. I'll make sure he doesn't get into any trouble."

"Do you want to explain to me why Daryl is drinking himself into a stupor over me going away to college when I haven't told him that myself?"

"We didn't know Bethy. We honestly didn't know. We thought you'd told him already. Luckily, I don't think he'll remember much tomorrow." Rosita sat next to Beth, tub of ice-cream and two spoons in her hands. Beth sighed.

"You better hope he doesn't." She growled into the phone. "Do I need to come get him?"

"No. We'll get him home in one piece."

"You swear?"

"Yeah, yeah. I swear. No man gets left behind." Beth sighed into the phone. "Promise. Tell Rosita I said hello."

"You're boyfriends a jerk." Rosita snorted.

"I love you too, Abe." She laughed and Beth rolled her eyes. With that Daryl's phone hung up and Beth just stared at the screen of her phone. "What did he do now?"

"He told Daryl about me getting in to Georgia…but didn't tell him that I wasn't leaving. Now Daryl's in a bar getting tanked." She looked at Rosita. "Should I let it go, and just talk to him tomorrow?" Rosita looked down at the ice-cream and sighed.

"I'll go get my keys." She went to put the ice-cream away and snagged her keys.

"No I'll go. I'll take him home, this way I can send Abe back here for you to yell at." Beth stood and grabbed her purse, and keys. "I'll see you tomorrow alright?" Rosita nodded.

"Drive safe, and don't be too hard on Abe or Merle…they didn't mean any harm." Beth sighed.

"I know…I promise I'll be nice." and with that she left. She found herself at the bar, standing just inside the door, watching as Merle and Abe tried to get Daryl to stand on his own without wobbling and falling over. She made her way over to the three of them, the look on her face daring either of them to say anything to her. Without a word, she slung his arm around her shoulders, and started across the room, barely stifling a giggle when Daryl drunkenly told her she was pretty and reminded him of his girlfriend. When he saw her car he started to struggle, slurring out that he wasn't going home with her because he had 'his own ray of sunshine waiting for him at a friend's house.' Beth found it extremely difficult not to kiss him in that moment.

He flopped into her car, putting up much less of a fight than he had on the walk over and she got him up to his apartment without incident, only pausing slightly when he fumbled for his keys and ended up grabbing her butt by mistake. She took a breath, flinging the door open and practically stumbling under his weight, as she made her way back to his bedroom. She dumped him on the bed and he groaned, kicking off his shoes. "Why's the room spinnin'?" He grumbled and Beth sighed.

"Cause you had too much to drink." She sighed, kicking her own shoes off and snuggling up next to him. "Go to sleep Daryl." He looked up at her with a wonder in his eyes. "What?"

"So pretty." He wrapped his arms around her and Beth smiled. "Don't want you to leave, Beth. You gotta stay here with me, babygirl." Her heart ached at how vulnerable he sounded.

"Daryl, I'm not going anywhere. I'm right here." He made a contented sigh as he snuggled into her, and Beth decided in that moment she was going to tell him first thing in the morning. He deserved to know the whole of it, not the half that made it seem like she was casting aside everything they had. She kissed his forehead and rested next to him, noticing he had fallen asleep and was now snoring into her skin. Come morning, she'd sit down with him and explain everything.


	18. Chapter 18

Daryl woke with the worst headache and the violent need to throw up. The second his eyes opened the room turned topsy turvy and the sun made his temples throb something fierce. He hissed out a curse before slamming a pillow down over his head to try to block out the pain. He heard a sleepy, feminine, grumble before he realized (belatedly) that he'd just yanked the pillow out from not just his head but Beth's head as well and she'd been completely asleep. He lifted the pillow and turned his head to ask her if she was ok, but felt the telltale feeling of bile creeping up his throat as her sleep softened faced danced before his throbbing eyes. He shoved the pillow down and tried to steady his breathing. He felt Beth rise from the bed and heard her make her way out of the bedroom. She was back quick enough and sat next to him, on his side of the bed, her soft cool hand stroking his upper back. "Daryl, you need to drink some water to help your head. I have pain meds and some crackers to help too." He let out a grunt, downing the water and pills in a swallow and then burying his head under the pillow once more. Beth let out a soft giggle before gently patting his back. "Rest, I'll go make breakfast."

Daryl must have fallen asleep, because the next thing he registered was Beth gently tugging the pillow away from his head, a plate of eggs and bacon sitting on the end table, and the blinds in the room pulled to darken the area. His head, he noticed (thank God) was blessedly pain free and he no longer felt the need to throw up, or at least not as violently as he had when he'd first woken up. "Welcome back to the living." She said softly, her cool fingers gently carding through the hair at his forehead.

"Mornin'." He rumbled, flipping on to his back to stare up at her.

"You feeling better?" a small smile tipped her lips as she watched him nod slowly. "Good. You were pretty dead to the world even before I left the room." She looked to the end table. "I made you some food, if you think you can eat it." Her eyes connected with his and she could tell he wasn't thinking of food anymore. "What?" He was looking at her with such raw openness, it was almost like wonder and pure awe that it had her cheeks tinting a light pink. She would have been hard pressed to call it anything other than love, but Beth knew better. She knew she was in love with him, but he wasn't there yet. His hand came up to touch her cheek, and she felt herself leaning forward to kiss him.

Daryl wasn't the intimate type. He wasn't one to be mushy and vulnerable and soft, but with Beth it seemed to be natural. Even after he'd gotten tanked, and woken up with a raging hangover, Beth was here, taking care of him, letting him sleep, making him breakfast, pulling the blinds. Ever so considerate, it was one of the reasons he loved her. He was bad at this being vulnerable thing, but he wanted to try with Beth, _for_ Beth. It hurt so much to know she was going to be leaving here, leaving him..but it didn't mean this needed to be the end. And if it was? Well, he wanted to enjoy every damn second he could.

The taste of her was enough to send him over the edge. He wanted her. Pulling her up into his lap, his hands settled on her waist, his lips never leaving hers. They were still separated by at least four layers of clothes, a sheet, and a blanket, but the feeling of her above him had his heart thumping wildly in his chest. He felt her teeth lightly scrape against his top lip before her hot tongue soothed any ache that might have been left behind. His fingertips slipped under her shirt, brushing against her hot skin that seemed to scorch him and beckon him closer. Her hands swept over his shoulders, tangling in the hair at the nape of his neck as their lips meshed and pulled apart only to meet again in a constant dance that neither one of them was eager to finish. The tips of his fingers glided up along her skin, catching her shirt and pulling it upward as he want. Without a thought to where it would land Beth pulled back and tugged it up over her head, letting it fall from her fingers. His big hands pressed her forward so his lips could capture hers again, tongues tangling and tasting as they slid along one another.

Beth could feel her body moving of its own volition but couldn't find a care to stop or make the movements more rhythmic. She was too lost in the feeling of being pressed against him, kissing him, wanting him. She could feel him pressing against her through their clothes and the fabric of the bedding. A noise sounded from the back her throat somewhere as she felt his lips leave hers and travel down the side of her neck, nipping and suckling as he went. Her head fell back as his hot mouth settled on her collarbone. Her back arched, pressing her chest into him as she leaned against his hand for support. With no warning he followed the movement of her body, scooping her up and moving forward to lay her down on the bed while he hovered over her. He bucked up into her, grinding against her through the fabric of their clothes. She let out a whimper and he smiled into her skin before crawling backwards along the length of her. He paused briefly to tease first one nipple and then the other, practically growling at the sounds she issued above his head, before continuing down. He traced his tongue along the dip of her belly button before coming to a stop at the top of her pajama bottoms. Nimble fingers pulled the fabric away before she could say anything and his lips landed on the inside of one creamy thigh.

Beth stifled a gasp at the feeling of his lips on her leg, at the crease of her thigh, and just below her hip bone. The rasp of his facial hair against her skin was enough to make her lose her mind. When his lips closed over the swollen nub begging to be touch, and his tongue flicked out to bare down on it, Beth couldn't hold back the shriek of pleasure that spilled from her. Her hands reached down, tangling in his dark brown hair, anchoring his head between her legs as he tortured her.

He circled her clit with his tongue alternating between quick motions around the sensitive flesh and hard direct pressure. She bucked and moved wildly beneath him and it was making him painfully hard, but he wanted this to be about her, needed this to be about her. When he felt her fingers gently tugging on his hard he looked up at her, a question in his eyes. "Daryl…" She panted, "I'm close." He smirked up at her.

"Good. I wanna watch as you fall apart." He rumbled before flicking his tongue over her slick skin again. When she let out another cry of pleasure he pressed down on her, moving the tip of his tongue over her rapidly until she was crying out as she fell over the edge. She trembled lightly as the pleasure coursed through her, registering vaguely that Daryl was crawling back up her body to hover over her once more. She pulled his face down to hers, catching his lips with hers as her hands shot down to undo the pants he wore and push them from his hips. He landed against her stomach, hard and hot and Beth instantly wanted him inside her. She took him in her hand, pumping her fist once or twice (she wasn't really paying attention) before he shifted his weight to position himself at her entrance. He caught up one leg, settling her knee across the crook of his elbow before slowly sinking into her. Her other leg drew up to press against his side before wrapping around his back.

She looked up into his eyes and was hit by the vulnerability in his eyes. She wanted to tell him so much in that moment. She wanted to tell him she wasn't leaving him. She wanted to tell him she wasn't leaving for school. _She wanted to tell him she loved him._ But then he was moving inside her and all hope for forming a coherent word, much less a sentence, flew out of her mind. She could do little more than sigh, and groan as he worked above her and within her. He strained above her, moving slowly, in and out, watching her face morph as the pleasure built within her again. She was a beautiful sight to behold and Daryl was determined to commit ever image to memory.

It wasn't long before he felt the telltale pleasure filter up his body as he grew closer and closer to his climax. He reached between them, determined to take her with him when he came, and touched her; fingers circling her clit quickly. He could tell by the hitch in her breathing that she was getting close as well. Their eyes met and he held them as he thrust once, twice and then she was breaking apart around him. He let out a growl as he thrust through her contracting muscles, letting himself release into her welcoming heat. He pumped a couple times as it felt like all his strength was being drained away. He slumped over her, letting her leg fall away from its perch on his elbow, and kissed her neck.

As they cooled, Daryl rolled onto his side, tucking Beth next to him and holding her close. He didn't want her to see his face and the tension hidden in his eyes at the thought that their troubles were far from over (as far as he knew) and things were going to get worse before they got better. It was a moment before he realized he was starting to doze off again, and Beth was whispering quietly to him. "Hm?" He groaned, hoping she'd repeat herself.

"I'm not going away for school…" Beth said softly, barely above a whisper. Daryl froze instantly. She wasn't going to school and he felt like the world's worst shmuck. She needed to go to school, and he wasn't going to stand in the way of that. He wasn't going to make her put her dreams on hold for him.

"Beth…no." He started but she rolled over and pressed her hand to his mouth.

"You didn't let me finish." She smiled softly up at him. "I'm going back to school…and I got accepted into Georgia State…but I'm not going away. Well, not completely." The more she talked the more confused he got. "They have a special program for my degree…it's called a hybrid program. Most of it is online, but I will have to go to campus once a week." She bit her lip. "Some semesters will be more often than others, but the whole program is supposed to be 80/20. That way I can keep my job and…and still be with you." His eyes studied her like she was some precious rare gift (but honestly, she was) before he surged forward and kissed her.

"Why'd you go through all the trouble?" He had to know. Was this really as important to her and it was to him? He was rewarded with a blindingly bright smile.

"Daryl…" She said, "I did it because I love you."


	19. Chapter 19

"You…"

"Don't. I didn't say it expecting you to say it back…and it's alright if you're not there. I just wanted you to know." Beth said quickly, cutting him off as his brain spun a million miles a minute inside his head. She loved him? He knew he loved her, but could she really love him back? He just watched her as she laid there next to him, staring up into his eyes.

"You…"

"No. I just…don't say it now because it'll feel like you're only sayin' it because I said it first. I want you to actually mean it." Her soft voice floated up to him as she rolled over and climbed out of bed. She scooped her clothes up off the floor and dressing quickly. She heard someone banging on the door and cast a curious glance over her shoulder. "Daryl, someone's at the door. You expecting somebody?"

"Nope." He watched as she scampered out towards the living room. Daryl flung the covers away from him, silently vowing that this conversation wasn't over. She needed to know he loved her too. He pulled on a pair of jeans, figuring the morning was half gone anyway so he should probably fake like a civilized individual for the rest of it. Before he left the bedroom, hearing voices in the living room was propelling him to move his ass quicker and to find out who was visiting his apartment, he grabbed the uneaten plate of food from the bedside table. He walked quietly down the short hall, registering Beth's tinkling laughter before he even saw her beautiful smile when he entered the kitchen.

"Baby brother!" Merle's raspy voice hit his ears and made him wince. "Didn't expect to see you alive and walking today."

"Yeah.. Didn't think I would be either." He rumbled setting the full plate on the counter. "What're you doin' here Merle?"

"Actually…I came to enlist the help of our little ray o' sunshine." He smiled over at Beth, who was moving around the kitchen to clean up the mess from making breakfast earlier. "I'm tryin' ta stay on the straight'n narrow…was thinking Babydoll over here could help me find a place to crash that wouldn't leave me in the poor house." Beth froze and looked over at Daryl then at Merle.

"I'd love to help you Merle." Beth chirped.

"Can't afford much. Workin' on a job…well a legal job anyway." Daryl and Beth both winced in unison. "Figured I'd crash here with you lil' brother until I could afford a place of my own."

"Oh hell, Merle…all I got's a couch. You ain't gonna wanna sleep on that thing for longer'n an hour." Daryl said, scraping the plate off into the trashcan. (There was something completely unappealing about cold congealed eggs.)

"Well, I ain't got nowhere else." And Daryl could feel his headache coming back on. "Unless Blondie wants to let me bunk with her in her place?" Daryl looked over to Beth who was staring at them both blankly. "Come on, it ain't like you spend many nights there anyway. You should just move in here with how often I find you here." Beth's cheeks tinted bright red and she ducked her eyes, not wanting to meet Daryl's gaze. Merle let out a loud roar of laughter.

"I'll help you find a place Merle, I'll start today." Beth squeaked cleaning up the last of the breakfast dishes. Daryl watched her; the wheels in his mind starting to turn. "Lemme go get dressed and I'll grab a paper to see if there are any postings we can look into." With that she dried her hands and ducked down the hallway to get dressed. Daryl pinned Merle with a glare.

"You are not movin' in with her." He grumbled and Merle let out another laugh.

"Cool your jets Darylina. I don't wanna move in with your girl." Merle grabbed a mug that Daryl hadn't seen sitting next to him before and took a sip of whatever liquid was inside. "Figured you two were basically moved in already. She's here almost every night. Y'know, it could save y'both some rent if you two just shacked up together instead of keepin' the two separate places." Daryl pinned him with a hard stare. "Might even help with her going away to school…it'd hardly be like havin' a live-in. She'd be home just in time to tap it and then get some sleep." The grin Merle wore made Daryl want to punch out his teeth, but he refrained because Beth popped back out of the bedroom completely dressed and ready to begin her apartment hunt.

Beth groaned as she looked at all the quotes that were spread before her on the bed. She'd been out with Merle all day and had seen a number of places that had apartments for him to rent, but nothing seemed to be in his price range. If she was being honest she would never be able to afford an apartment if she had to find one right now. The prices were ridiculous. Daryl closed the door behind him as he walked towards the bed. Merle was hunkered down on the couch in the living room, and no amount of griping or glares from Daryl was going to get him out of the living room until the man had a place of his own. He watched as Beth flopped back on the bed.

"Get used to a roommate." She muttered up to him. "There is no way your brother can afford an apartment at these prices…I don't even think _I_ could afford an apartment at these prices. Some of these are the same size as mine and they want double the rent!" She felt Daryl climb into bed next to her. She looked over at him to meet his pensive eyes. Instantly she was on alert. He only looked at her like that when he had something important he wanted to say but was unsure how to say it.

"You know…he could just move into your place." She gave a snort.

"I never thought you'd agree to me living with your brother." She teased.

"No…I mean, you could move in here and he could take over your place." When she just looked at him he barreled on, determined to at least speak all of his piece before they made a decision. "It makes sense. He could take over your rent, and you could move in here and we'll make it work." She was biting her lip. "It ain't anything we gotta decide right now…but I just wanted to say something 'bout it." He watched her face carefully. She seemed to contemplate it.

"I-I," Beth paused. Her heart was thrumming wildly in her chest. This was so out of left field she didn't know what to think. It was just this morning that she'd told him she loved him, now he was basically asking her to move in? She wanted to. She wanted to jump at it with wild abandon, but the logical side of her told her to think about it. If something happened (God forbid) between them she'd be out of luck. She'd have to start over from scratch because she couldn't be heartless enough to kick Merle out of her old place. "Can I think about it?" She breathed. "It's just…" she fumbled for words, trying to make sure he knew she wasn't flat out rejecting the idea, but she needed to think about it. "That's big, Daryl." She said softly, "I just gotta think about it." He bit on the edge of his thumb lightly.

"Yeah, no that's smart." He felt his breath come a little easier. She wasn't flat out laughing in his face. That was a plus. "I wasn't expecting an answer right away…just wanted you to think 'bout it, and know…that it's somethin' that can happen." She smiled at him before leaning down to kiss him. This man captured her heart over and over again with his little surprises. She'd never in a million years pictured him offering her to move in, but here he'd done exactly that.

His arms swept up to pull her down to nestle in the hollows of his body and she marveled (for not the first time) at how well they fit together. She smiled as he turned out the light and they settled in to sleep.

"He did what?" Tara and Rosita all but shrieked in unison.

"I know." Beth sighed. "He offered to have me move in with him…" She looked between her friends.

"Daryl." Tara asked quickly, setting her cup of coffee down on table. "Daryl Dixon… _the_ Daryl Dixon, offered to have you move in with him?" Beth felt her cheeks redden. "And you didn't just say 'yes' right away?" Beth gaped at her.

"I was trying to be an adult about it. What if something were to happen and we break up? I'm stuck." She reasoned, and then turned her beseeching eyes to Rosita.

"That was very smart of you Beth." Rosie soothed. "Tara's just antsy because she wishes her girlfriend would move in with her." Tara glared at the pair of them as Beth snickered. "And it's very mature to think about the what ifs, but don't let them hold you back." Beth bit her lip. "You and Daryl have been really smart about this whole relationship." When both Tara and Beth shot her a disbelieving look she held up her hands. "I mean…after the crazy whirlwind start, you two have gone really slow and gotten to know each other. Plus, you two pined after each other for I don't know how long before you finally jumped into bed together."

"Hey…" Beth whined.

"I'm just saying…don't over think this. If you two don't work out you'll always have my place or Tara's until you can bounce back and get on your feet again."

Beth smiled at her friends. "Plus, you know your dad would let you have your old room back in a heartbeat."

"True…but what if we move in together and we get tired of each other?"

"And what…you break up?" Tara countered. "Already been covered. Bethy…what are you really afraid of right now?" Beth looked down, thinking hard about what was really holding her back.

"What if he doesn't really want me to move in with him, and he's just offering because…I dunno…he thinks I'm expecting it, or he just wants to get his brother off the couch?" Tara and Rosita looked at each other.

"Beth," Rosita started, "neither one of us can really answer that for you, but…" She paused and caught Beth's eyes to really truly convey her meaning. "have you really ever known Daryl to say or do anything he didn't really want? I mean really 100% want?" Beth paused, a slow smile blooming on her lips.

"No…no I haven't." She still had to talk to him about it, but after a week and a half of constantly thinking about it, she felt she could finally give him a solid answer. She pulled out her phone and sent of a quick text asking if they could hang out tonight. (Not that she'd been avoiding him, but their schedules had been at odds recently and with Merle on the couch it had really made it difficult to spend any kind of time together.) Her phone buzzed quickly with a positive response and she suddenly found herself anxious for the evening to come.

Daryl opened the door to see Beth practically bouncing where she stood. He smiled down at her, pushing the door open wide. "I got rid of Merle for the evening." He rumbled quietly before she launched herself at him in a huge hug. "What's up babygirl?" The nickname slipped out before he could catch it, but she didn't seem to be fazed by it.

"I have a question for you, but it's kind of serious." She said as she released him and stepped inside. He shut the door behind her and followed her into the living room. Before they could sit down she rounded on him. "I need you to answer me honestly." He gave her a look that made her smile at him. When had he ever not given her his honest truth. "Were you serious when you said we could think about me moving in here with you?"

"Yeah." He answered slowly.

"You weren't just saying it because you wanted to get your brother off the couch right?" He just stared at her blankly. "Or because you think…I dunno…like I expect this right?"

"Beth…I wouldn't have said anythin' if I didn't want it." He caught her cheeks in his hands and looked into her eyes. "You know me Beth…y'know me better'n anyone out there." She smiled up at him.

"Yes, yes I do." She touched his hands with hers. "Then, I think…if you still mean it…I think I'd like that. To stay here, with you." He touched his forehead to hers before playfully kissing her nose.

"Well, I guess there's only one more question." She looked at him, "When do we move you in?"


	20. Chapter 20

Beth let out a frustrated sigh, and shut her book with a firm flick of her wrist. She resisted, albeit barely, the urge to throw the book across the room. She'd officially started school three weeks ago, which was stressful in and of itself, but she'd also been moving into the apartment with Daryl about the same time. She almost shuddered at the memory of the horrendous dinner that had taken place when she told Maggie and her dad. Daryl hadn't wanted to do the whole dinner announcement thing, but he'd agreed when she'd explained that it was better than just having them find out through second-hand gossip.

Everyone had just sat down at the table, a roasted chicken sitting prettily on a platter next to herb-roasted potatoes and some boiled green beans. Daryl sat next to her at the table, fidgeting and doing everything he could to try to remain calm. If you didn't know him, you'd think he was fine, but Beth could tell he was almost to the point of panicking, and if she wasn't right there with him, she'd have laughed and told him to calm down. But this was a time where neither one of them could be calm.

Hershel sat across from Daryl and Maggie sat across from Beth, and both were just as on edge as Beth and Daryl. Maggie eyed them suspiciously as they passed the food around the table. Talk was strained, and the silence as everyone started to eat was unbearable. Finally in a huff, Maggie slammed down her silverware (a little harder than she meant to) and stared at them with hard eyes. "So, are you pregnant or something?" Beth just looked at her, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.

"What?"

"Is that why we're all here about ready to jump out of our skins?" She rounded on Daryl next to her. "Is she pregnant? If you went and did something so stupid as get her pregnant, I swear I'm gonna kill you." She glared at him, "She has a bright future ahead of her, and she doesn't need to be giving it all up just because you weren't thinking with the head on your shoulders." Daryl blinked, not sure whether he should laugh or be angry at the idea that Maggie felt she had the right to make that judgment call. It wasn't until he noted that Hershel hadn't said a word yet, that he realized that was what the both of them were dreading, and that the conversation of them moving in together could prove to be a bit trickier than he originally thought.

"Maggie, I'm not pregnant. Good grief." Beth huffed, her affronted eyes turning from her sister to her father. "I'm not daddy, so you can stop lookin' at Daryl like you gotta go get your shotgun. And even if I were…it's not a call either one of you could make. This is my life."

"I know Bethy, but we just want the best for you." He started slowly, choosing his words carefully. "Havin' a baby is a big thing, and you'd have to put all your dreams on hold," he saw Maggie about to cut in, but cut her off. "at least temporarily, and we know that wouldn't make you the least bit happy. It's best to wait until you've finished your schooling…you know, make sure you're ready." Beth nodded in agreement before taking a bite of her green beans.

"well, if it ain't that…why'd you call this dire family meeting? You ain't dying are you, Daryl?" She looked at Daryl from the corner of her eyes, a small teasing grin threatening to upturn her lips. "Because I imagine that might be useful at some point." Daryl gave a snort. After their little talk at the barbeque over the 4th (was that really almost three months ago?) she and Daryl had started a habit of teasing each other. She liked to play the part of angry older sister, hating the man currently corrupting her precious baby sibling.

"Wouldn't give you the satisfaction, Greene." He rumbled from his seat. "I asked her to move in with me." And everything went silent.

"And…what'd she say?"

"She said, yes." Beth cut in, trying to keep the agitated tone out of her voice. She didn't like being talked about like she wasn't there and Maggie had a bad habit of doing that when she felt they were venturing into topics of conversation a bit too old or mature for her. It wasn't often, but it still happened and Beth made a point of letting her know that she was equally a part of the conversation every time it did.

"But, don't you think playin' house is a bit dangerous Beth?" Maggie snipped. "I mean, dating and seein' each other is one thing, but living together…that could give people ideas, lead to things happenin' that you don't necessarily want."

"Give people ideas? Like what…I actually care about him? Like he actually means something to me, and I ain't just playin'?" She fisted her hands in her lap. "Heaven forbid that kind of idea get out around town. It might damage my reputation…right Maggie?"

"Bethy, calm down." Hershel said quickly, knowing that if he didn't step in his two girls would go at it like the worst of them. "She didn't mean it like that."

"Then how did you mean it Mags?"

"I just meant…I don't want people to think badly of you. I know you two care about each other…but I don't want others thinkin'…"

"Thinkin' what?"

"That you're easy, or that he's takin' advantage of you."

"You know both of those things ain't true."

"I know, but not everyone does. They don't know you like we do, and I'd hate for you to get caught up in someone else's rumors and gossip. People can be mean, and I just wanna protect you."

"I appreciate it Mags, but I'm a big girl, and I don't give two licks what others think. I know what I have." She looked over at Daryl, who sat there uncomfortably silent, hoping not to get pulled into the middle of this war of words between the sisters. Maggie looked at Beth for a moment before she nodded her head. All eyes turned to Hershel Greene, sitting there, not eating, clearly weighing his words and his opinions carefully. "Daddy?"

"What happens if something goes wrong between you two, what then?"

"Rosita and Tara both said that I can stay with them until I'm on my feet again. I'm not jumping into this blindly, Daddy, I promise. I thought about it."

"I'm not going to pretend like I know what goes on between you two when no one is looking, but I remember being young and in love. What happens if you find yourself pregnant?" Beth paused, paling a little as she looked helplessly to Daryl. They'd never discussed kids, in fact, it was probably the furthest thing from their minds. They were both careful to use protection, but still. Protection did fail some times. What then? What would happen then?

"We ain't really discussed it, but I know Beth would weigh the options, and we'd make a decision together. She ain't in this alone." Daryl said. "If that were to happen, you gotta know she wouldn't be in it alone." His eyes met Hershel's, trying desperately to show the man whatever it was he wanted to see. Finally, Hershel let out a sigh.

"It ain't what I want." He looked between the pair of them. "I'm old-fashioned, and would love to see you married and settled down, but those are my ways, and I'm set in my ways. You aren't me, and I can't expect you to be." He gave a slight nod. "If this is what you want, I wont nay-say it. It'll just take me a little while to get used to it." There had been a round of nods before everyone had continued eating, the conversation hanging in the air, finished but not forgotten.

True to his word, it had taken Hershel about three weeks before he'd warmed to the idea of Beth and Daryl living together. He still said he'd rather see her married, but when he saw how happy Beth was he couldn't stand to stay opposed. Truthfully, Beth was so glad when he'd finally stopped mentioning the idea of marriage and weddings altogether. Every time it had come up it had felt like a lead weight settled in her stomach, and she knew Daryl felt just as awkward about it as well. They were still too new. With everything that had happened, they'd only truthfully been a couple for about three months, unofficially dated (and slept together) for months before that, and had known each other for about a year before that. They'd only been present in each other's lives for a year and a half (two max) and part of that was really only seeing each other around town, never really interacting.

Beth sat on the bed, staring at her closed textbook. They really had come so far from even just a year ago. A year ago he'd sat quietly in a booth while she'd used him to make Zach go away. A year ago, she'd awkwardly thought of ways to learn his whole name. A year ago, she would have giggled at the idea of just speaking to him when they saw each other at places around town. Now, now she was living with him, sleeping with him, in love with him. Her smile faltered a little bit. She'd told him almost a month back that she loved him, and he'd been about ready to say it back, but she'd stopped him. And he hadn't been close to saying it back since. She'd kept her 'I love you's to a minimum, trying not to make it awkward or make him feel like she was expecting something, but each time, she had to admit, it hurt a little more when he didn't say it back.

She flopped back on the bed, a groan slipping from between her lips as she covered her eyes with the heel of her hands. She wasn't going to push him, but damn if she didn't want to. She heard Daryl enter the room, and let her hands fall away from her face, as she watched him get ready for bed. "Y'get your readin' done?" He rumbled as he pulled his shirt up over his head.

"Mhm."

"And your outline thing?"

"My notes. Yeah, I got those done too." She stared at his back. It still made her gut tighten with anger to see the dark welts and scars that littered his back. It made a fierce need to protect and love him rise up within her. He turned to look at her.

"Good. It's been hell tryin' to stay occupied while you're in here readin'." He confided before flopping onto the bed next to her.

"Oh really now?" She was teasing him. "Having a hard time functioning without little ole me to help you along?" He gave a snort.

"Yeah, got something I've been wantin' to talk to you about." She rolled onto her side to look him in the eyes.

"And what's that? Daddy been at you again to make an honest woman of me?"

"Nah, it ain't that. It's something I've been meanin' to talk to you about since b'fore you moved in. Just, sometimes I don't know how to say it." He had a hard time meeting her eyes. She smiled softly up at him, her hand coming up to cup his cheek gently.

"You can tell me anything. I promise I don't bite." He rolled on to his back and tucked her up against his side. She could tell he was nervous; could feel the rapid thumping of his heart under her palm, so what ever it was that he wanted to talk to her about was serious.

"You know I ain't good with words. I don't know how to say most things right, but I've been trying to figure out a right way to say it." His voice dropped lower, softly spoken so only her ears could hear. "But I can't think of anything special or a right way to say it…so I'mma just say it."

"Daryl, what-"

"I love you, Beth." She froze against him, her heart slamming into overdrive as her breathing seemed to stop. Did he just? "I know it seems simple to just say, but there's been times I was tryin' to say it…and it just wouldn't come out. Like it got stuck in my throat, or like I know if I opened my mouth everything would just come tumbling out but not in the right order. Y'know?" He paused a second and looked down to meet her eyes, not quite sure what he would find there.

She met his eyes, barely breathing, a look of almost wonder covering her face and features. Slowly, achingly slowly, a smile stretched her lips. He couldn't help the flood of relief that filled him. Sure, he knew she loved him, but not being good with words, seeing that smile made all the damn fluttering in his stomach settle. He leaned down to kiss her, her hand sliding into his hair to anchor him to her. "Say it again." She whispered against his lips.

"I love you."


	21. Chapter 21

Beth stared at her coffee, textbook and notes sitting off to the side of the table, as she tried to remember the last time she'd paid rent (and by paying rent she meant gave money to Daryl for her portion of the rent.) The first month he'd absolutely refused to let her pay for anything because she was paying for her old place (Merle hadn't moved in completely yet…and was still struggling with a job) and had to put down some money for tuition. She'd felt horrible, but promised that she'd pay him back and have everything ready for the next month's rent.

She'd been living with the man for three months now and was just realizing…she'd completely lost track of deadlines and dates. She'd never paid the man anything! Without really any kind of discussion she'd taken on providing the groceries and food for the two of them, as well as new (faster) internet and cable (being on a hybrid program she needed to best internet she could find and wouldn't let him spring for that.) Between the two of them, she was definitely getting better end of the deal, and that wasn't what she wanted. She wasn't a free-loader. She wanted to pull her own weight. She wanted to help.

That was precisely the reason she'd gone to the bank two days ago while Daryl was at work and withdrawn enough money to pay for her half of the rent for the past three months, as well as the up-coming month. It felt so surreal to see her bank account so low, and have the biggest bundle of cash in a small white envelope in her purse, but she knew it was right. She couldn't expect Daryl to let her float along while he paid for everything. She hadn't gone in to this situation with that expectation and she didn't want him to think that was how she intended to continue. The first free moment she had with him she'd shove the envelope at him and make sure he took it.

Her attention snapped to the sounds of a groggy Daryl shifting around in the bedroom. It sounded like he was finally getting out of bed (she was surprised because they'd had a late night with Rosie and Abe) and she was glad for it.

Daryl made his way out to the brightly lit living room, a sleepy smile coming to his lips when he spied Beth curled up at the kitchen table in one of his extra baggy t-shirts. When he noticed her thoughtful hesitancy he couldn't help a sigh. "Let me get a cup of coffee 'fore you start whatever serious conversation is rollin' around your head." He rumbled. He noticed her cheeks tinted red before he turned and prepared himself a cup of coffee. Taking a long deep drink from the hot brew he moved to sit across from her. "What's up, babygirl?"

"I haven't paid any rent." She blurted out. "I haven't paid any bills, I haven't really helped out with anything Daryl…"

"You've been takin' care of the groceries, and the tv and internet. We got more channels now than I knew existed." His attempt at joking flopped and he knew it. He watched as Beth's face clouded over with concern. "Look, Beth, I ain't hurtin'. You've got school to pay for, and you helping out with food and stuff helps."

"But that's not what I signed up for…" She said urgently. She pulled the little envelope out of her book. "I'm not going to live here and not pay my way. I wasn't raised that way. I don't need to be taken care of…" When he looked like he was going to argue with her she held up her hand and smiled. "and I know that's not what you're tryin' to do. Let me do this. Please? We're a team…and I can't feel like a team if I'm not giving my half." She pressed the envelope to his chest and watched as his hand came up to grasp it.

"Jesus girl." His hand clenched around the envelop, feeling for the first time exactly how much money was contained inside. "What did you do, rob a bank?" Her soft giggle had the weight lifting off his shoulders a bit. Even though she didn't need to be taken care of, Daryl still wanted to. He knew Beth wasn't expecting to be coddle, nor was she expecting to skate by without contributing, and that was exactly the reason Daryl had never worried about Beth's fair share of anything. He didn't want her to worry about money. He didn't want her to feel like she _had_ to come up with half of everything. This was their place, and truth be told, he liked knowing that he _could_ take care of her and provide for her…even if that wasn't what she wanted. "'M not takin' all of this Beth." He said, his voice even and firm. "I'll take part for the rent for next month…but the rest of this needs to go back. You need it for school."

"Daryl, this semester is paid for. And next semester I'll get some aide so I'll be fine…take it. Please?"

"We need some new things for this place." When Beth eyed him suspiciously. "I was planning on takin' you out to buy some stuff for this place…to I dunno…make it feel more homey for you."

"That's not why I gave you the money, Daryl." Beth sighed, sinking back into her chair. "We need to really sit down and talk about who is paying for what and how this whole money thing is gonna work. It'll make it easier if everything is just out in the open." Heaving a sigh, Daryl sat down, placing the envelop safely between them on the kitchen table. "I want to pay half of everything…I'm using this apartment and everything that goes with it, I should pay for half."

"But you helped me set up all the bills and the rent on that auto-pay system. I'm already takin' care of it." It was a weak excuse, but he gave it nonetheless. She just quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Daryl, I-" She faultered, "I don't want to feel like I'm takin' advantage."

"You're not. I don't need your money to get by. Anything extra, you're payin' for already."

"I-I feel like we're shackin' up and that bothers me." She said quietly. "I feel like if I was anyone else I'd be payin' rent and bills and everything…but I'm not."

"Well, hell Beth…I'm sleepin' with you. I wouldn't be sleepin' with anyone else." She gave a snort.

"So…sex is how I'm repaying you now?" He could tell they were getting dangerously close to a fight and that wasn't what he wanted, but as usual he couldn't find the words to explain it right.

"No. Babygirl…breathe." That was their word. Whenever one of them was starting to get overly worked up, that was the word that was said to try to calm them down and get them to think rationally. It wasn't fancy and it wasn't eloquent, but it was something they both could remember. Daryl thought for a minute. They needed to compromise. She wanted to pull her own weight, and Daryl didn't want her stretching her too far (her studies needed to come first.) "Look, you name what you want, I'll name what I want and we deal. Deal?"

Beth thought for a moment before nodding her head once. "I want to pay half of the rent, and half of the bills. I'll keep the stuff I'm already payin' for, food and internet, since that's for school anyway."

"You gotta get your school stuff done. You focus on that and let me worry about everythin' else." He knew it was a long shot, and knew she'd never go for it, but he'd learned in his shady days around Merle that you always went with the long shot so there was more room to negotiate. Beth pursed her lips.

"That's not gonna work, Daryl…you gotta let me do somethin'." Her help with the utilities and the rent would help him financially, but he didn't want her to get stuck.

"Half the rent." He grumbled. She was right. Anyone else would at least be paying part of the rent.

"And half the electricity and water." She chimed in.

"Water…you like to take them hour long showers when it gets cold." He caught her smile. "And anything you need or want for the apartment."

"We need new sheets." She almost sighed at the idea. "And towels. Yours are so scratchy." He nodded. "So, half the rent, half the water, food, internet, cable and any other supplies we may need for the apartment."

"Unless its something big…then we'll deal with it as it comes." He wanted to tell her he had it. He could make it, but he knew that need to prove yourself. He understood that she wanted him to see her as a contributor, but after so long of being on his own, the habits were hard to break. "And you gotta pay for your own schooling." It almost went without saying, and truth be told he'd help her with that if she needed (all she had to do was ask and he'd do his best to give her the moon) but he knew that if she did it by herself, she'd always be able to look back and know that was her own accomplishment and no one could take that away from her. That was hers and only she could own it. He wanted that for her. A slow smile spread across her face.

"You have a deal." Both their eyes landed awkwardly on the envelop sitting between them. "Do you wanna take this? For back rent?" Her cheeks tinted pink.

"How about I take your share for this month and then we go pick out some towels and sheets?"

"Really? You mean you'll come with me?" He gave her a nod. "Even into the girly shop that you complain about whenever we're by it?" His face paled slightly at her teasing but he still nodded. She sprang up from her seat and all but climbed across the table and into his lap. "You're sweet for agreeing. But I won't drag you into the girly shop. Wouldn't want anyone in town to think you're going soft because of Hershel Greene's little girl." She kissed him softly.

"Let 'em think what ever they want. Ain't stopped 'em b'fore." He rumbled as he wrapped his arms around her. "As long as I get to do this…" _This_ was capturing her lips in a hot kiss that left her panting a little. "anyone can think what ever they want." She grinned up at him.

"Still, we'll just go to the local store to pick up some towels and sheets, we are on a budget." She said, trying to sound official. He gave a snort.

"Babygirl, I'll take you where ever you wanna go."

"Promise?"

"Promise."


	22. Chapter 22

Daryl stared at the shelves of smelly lotions and sprays, trying desperately to figure out which one was the one that Beth wore every day. He needed to find her a Christmas present, and with Thanksgiving come and gone, he was quickly running out of time.

"I never thought I'd see the day…when Daryl Dixon would be caught staring at girly lotions and sprays lookin' for all the world like a lost puppy dog." His eyes snapped over to land on Rosita who was rounding the corner, a small shopping basket on her arm. He spied some of the smelly crap in her basket and instantly knew they were for Beth and he was shit out of luck on this end.

"Was tryin' to find a Christmas present." He muttered, tearing his eyes away from her basket to look at her face.

"Well, you're gonna have to find something else, I've already got her lotions and spray." Rosie smiled. "It's a college thing. We've gotten each other the same things since we roomed together." She explained.

"Noticed." He grumbled. Well, hell. "What else should I get her?" Rosita looked thoughtful.

"Is there anything she needs? You know, for the apartment? I know she left a lot of her stuff for Merle to use when he lived there…"

"Nah, we spent a couple weekends picking up stuff from yard sales and thrift stores. She's into this new thing now…something like recycling but different. Y'take beat-up used stuff and dress it up and make it nice. I dunno…"

"Upcycling." Rosita supplied.

"Yeah. I don't get it, but she loves it so…" He trailed off, embarrassed that he was actually sharing and being so open in public. He knew Rosita and could share with Rosita, but he still liked being a private person, and to share like this in public was odd for him.

"That's really nice. I know Beth has always tried to stick with a budget, and that's a great way to do it. What's she done so far?"

"Well she got a rickety little book shelf to put her shoes on so they ain't layin' in a pile in the closet. And she took a couple old end tables and put them together to make a new coffee table when the leg on mine gave out." He paused. "You ever heard of 'distressin'?" Rosita narrowed her eyes a bit in thought.

"Not really…"

"She's been doing that a lot to the new pieces. She paints 'em, and then sands 'em down and then clear coats 'em." He gave a shrug. "Doesn't make much sense to me, but she likes it." Rosita smiled.

"You should have us over some time so I can see it."

"I'll have Beth send over the invite." Rosita gave a snort. "But that doesn't help me. What do I get her for Christmas?"

"I don't know Daryl. I'm sorry." Rosita gave him a sympathetic pat on the arm. "You'll figure it out. You're smart. Think of something she likes." Rosita smiled. "I'll try to fish for ideas next time I see her." Daryl gave a nod and watched as Rosita turned to leave. She tossed a wave at him over her shoulder before she turned and made her way to the front of the store.

Daryl browsed the shelves not liking a single thing. Everything seemed so _not_ Beth. He entered the aisle that carried all the chocolate and that made him grimace. He didn't want to just get her chocolates and be done with it. That was something you got on a cheesy first date. They were way past first date. He continued on until he saw some pretty sweaters and cardigans. Beth liked sweaters and cardigans when it was cold outside. But then he ran the risk of picking the wrong size, or picking something she didn't like. No, you bought sweaters for your aunt that you only saw once a year, but everyone pressured you into getting her something, or at least, that's what Daryl assumed. He'd never had a Christmas that entailed gift giving and family gatherings before Beth.

He turned around, something catching his eye and making him stop in his tracks. Without second guessing, or thinking about it he walked over to the counter, eyes glued to the trinket he wanted. "Hello, can I help you? Do you see something you like?" He spared half a glance for the lady standing behind the counter before he pointed at the little box under the glass. "This one is beautiful." She pulled the box out and set it on the glass top for him to look at. "Don't you think?" He grunted in response, studying the delicate necklace. It practically screamed Beth and Daryl couldn't believe how lucky he was to have found it.

"I'll take it." He rumbled and the sales clerk smiled at him.

"Very good, sir."

Beth had agreed to pool their money and buy gifts for the family (mainly because she knew he'd have no idea what to get for everyone) and so far she'd gotten everyone something…except for Daryl. She knew exactly what to get him though. He'd been eyeing this tool belt, to help him work when he was on a site, and so far Beth had been able to convince him to wait and that right now it was a little too pricey and maybe they could just wait until it was on sale. She'd felt a bit guilty making him wait (and kind of tricking him), but she knew that he was the kind of guy that when he saw it he would buy it and wouldn't think twice about possible gift ideas from others. Beth was determined to make their first Christmas together memorable and give him a gift he really would like. She was on her way to purchase it right this very minute.

She entered the hardware store like a woman full of determination. Not a single clerk approached her, but then again she wasn't complaining. She knew exactly where the toolbelt was she didn't want anyone hindering her. The minute she laid hands on the prized belt she almost did a little happy dance. Purchasing it was the single most gratifying experience of her life. She clutched her purchase to her as she made her way towards her car. She was off to meet Rosita for lunch now.

She rounded the corner, her special purchase tucked neatly into her side, and spotted Rosita standing outside the little café they'd decided to meet at. She beamed at her friend, giving her a big hug as they entered the café for lunch. "Daryl is a mess." Rosita said with a little snicker.

"What do you mean?"

"He has no idea what to get you for Christmas. You need to drop a few hints for the poor guy. I saw him looking so lost in the lotion department when I had to break the news that I'd already gotten you some of the smelly stuff, as per usual." Beth heaved a sigh.

"I didn't even think about it." Beth confessed, feeling horrible. "I never thought about him having to get me a gift, I'll have to think about it and drop some hints." Rosita let out a sigh.

"You want me to take back your lotion and help him pick some out?"

"No, I'll talk to him tonight." Beth bit her lip. Now she had to figure out what to hint about. The waiter came by their table prompting her to flip open her menu to quickly decide what to eat. All thoughts of Daryl and Christmas presents pushed aside as she tried to enjoy her time with her friend.

Daryl tucked the little box away inside the top drawer of the dresser (his drawer that she never went into) just as he heard the front door start to creak open. Beth was home and he'd just gotten her present put away in time. "Daryl?" He heard her call and he rumbled out a grunt to let her know he was back in their bedroom. "Stay in the bedroom. Don't come out yet." She called and suddenly his interest was piqued. She must have gotten his present, and was trying to hide it just like he was. He smiled. Before he could dwell on what she might have gotten him she was standing in the doorway to their bedroom.

"Hey babygirl, how was lunch with Rosita?" She smiled at him.

"Good. She told me she ran into you at the store." He hummed in response a grin threatening to split his lips.

"Is that so?" She smiled and nodded her head.

"Said I should maybe drop some hints to make it easier to pick up Christmas presents."

"Nah…" Beth stopped and looked at him. "Don't need it. You're all taken care of." She bit her lip and narrowed her eyes, not believing him for an instant.

"Oh really?"

"Mhm."

"What'd you get me?" She giggled as she looked at him, walking closer to wrap her arms around his neck.

"Not tellin'. You'll just have ta wait until the big day." She narrowed her eyes again.

"But Daryl…" She whined. He pinched her side lightly, causing her to giggle. "Fine. I guess I'll just have to wait. Wanna know what I got you?" He quirked an eyebrow at her. "Well, I'm not gonna tell you! Ha! How does that feel?" He shook his head and wrapped his arms around her middle.

"You're nuts." He rumbled before he hefted her up and slung her up into his arms. "But it's ok…I got ways uh makin' you talk." He rumbled before dropping her down on the bed, causing Beth to let out a peel of laughter before he came down on top of her.

"Now, don't you dare! It'll ruin Christmas." Beth warned before stretching up and kissing him. "You'll just have to wait. It's only a couple weeks." He grumbled to himself before kissing her back.

"Fine," He started grudgingly. "I guess I can wait."


	23. Chapter 23

Beth's eyes fluttered open slowly in the dim light of early morning. It was Christmas morning and Beth was excited to wake Daryl up and watch him open his present before going to spend the day with the family at the farm. She'd woken up late in the night and quietly slipped from the bed to place her wrapped gift under their little tree. She'd been surprised to find a little gift, delicately wrapped, already resting under the tree against the wall. It had made her heart stutter in her chest to see the little gift there, knowing what Daryl thought of Christmas and the traditions that went along with it.

She'd crept back to bed just as silently as when she'd left, and fallen back to sleep just as quickly. Now it was morning, and she was bursting at the seams with excitement. She wanted Daryl to enjoy his first true Christmas, with presents and family, and dinner and laughter. She wanted him to understand why it was such a big deal to her. She was determined. She rolled onto her side and stared at Daryl's sleeping face, a devilish thought creeping through her mind.

Her hand reached out and delicately skimmed up the skin of his arm. He didn't stir. She sidled up closer to him before letting her hand land on his chest and delicately slide down his chest towards the band of his pajamas.

Daryl was having the best dream. Beth was over him, straddling him, but facing away from him. Her hands were resting firmly on his chest to give her body leverage to move up and down. Pleasure flooded his mind as he watched her hips rise and fall over him, taking him all the way down before rising up to almost the tip. He let out a groan before he realized he was drifting decidedly into the land of consciousness. He wanted to cling to the last remnants of the dream, watching as Beth's blonde hair fell back from the crown of her head, as her back arched over him, her arms stiffening as she moved. A whimper caught in his throat as he was drawn completely out of his dream by a particularly strong throb of pleasure. His eyes snapped open and met Beth's soft blue ones, currently burning with a hot desire that only fueled his arousal more. He felt her hand stroking him beneath the covers and bit the inside of his cheek to keep from whimpering again.

When his eyes connected with hers, her hand stilled, and Beth could feel the hum of arousal course through her body. She licked her lips before Daryl launched himself at her, pinning her beneath him. She could feel him, hard and read, pressing insistently against her belly and stifled a quick giggle at the idea that _she_ had done that to him. He was hot and ready for _her._ (A fact she marveled over constantly.) His lips crashed down on hers and she instantly opened to suck on his bottom lip.

"Good morning." She breathed between kisses.

"Damn Greene, if this is how you wake me up on Christmas…I think we'll make sure it's Christmas every day." He rumbled, his hands trekking over her body, touching her through her clothes.

She groaned at the feeling of him touching her. She could definitely get behind the idea of Christmas morning sex. That could become a new tradition for them. That was probably one of the best ideas they'd ever had, she decided as his lips traveled down her cheek to her neck. His lips made a pathway down to her breast, sucking and teasing her nipple through the thin camisole she was wearing. Her back arched up, reminding Daryl of the delicious dream he'd been having. He knew exactly how he wanted her. His hand slid around her side, down to her hip, holding her in place as he ground against her. The sounds she was making in the back of her throat were deep, and almost sinful sounding, and Daryl made it a personal goal to see how loud he could make those sounds come from her, and how often. He felt her legs press against his sides and slid his hand down to her thigh, then back up, cupping her bare bottom in his hand. He ground against her roughly and teased her nipple through the cloth of her shirt with his teeth, resisting the urge to smile smugly against her breast when he felt her fingers tighten and pull against his hair while a deep groan escaped her throat.

His lips came back up to hers as his free hand slid to her stomach before sliding to her breast under the shirt to tease the nipple he'd just been tasting. Impatiently she pushed him back, her hands going to the bottom of her shirt and ripping it up over her head and tossing it to the ground. Her arms came around him again, lips crashing against his as he resumed touching her. Their tongues battled and twisted together as their bodies moved against one another, trying to heighten the pleasure they were already feeling. He let out a growl at the frustration of the feeling of clothing between them. (They were still wearing bottoms after all.)

Sitting back on his knees he hooked his fingers in the elastic of his pajamas, and slid them down his legs just far enough for his arousal to spring free. He didn't have time to contemplate what he wanted to do next, Beth's lips were wrapped around his member, doing a great job of ruining the plan he'd only half baked up in his mind. He stilled her, tugging her up to her knees. "Careful, babygirl. I got plans and you're doing a great job of ruinin' them." He teased when he saw the confusion cross her features. His hands went to her little cotton pajama shorts and tugged them down her legs, watching as she sat back on her bottom so he could drag the cloth clean off her legs.

She opened her legs, holding her hands out to him, but he shook his head. "Like I said…I got plans." He leaned forward, kissing her hard before moving to the side and laying down. He grabbed her hips, tugging her over to straddle him. She stiffened, and made to turn around to face him, but he stilled her. "Can we try it like this?" He rasped out, as she turned her face to look at him over her shoulder. The heated look that crossed her features was enough to know he was going to enjoy this.

"Been plannin' this long, Dixon?" She practically purred as she adjusted herself over him. She gripped him tightly in her hand, stroking him up and down, once, twice, three times before he grunted behind her. She knew that sound meant he was losing control. He wouldn't last too long if she continued, and now that she knew what he wanted, she was more than excited to try this new position and give him this new fantasy. She hovered over him, positioning him just right, before she sunk down fully onto him. Her hands went back to brace her on his chest. She arched her back at how the angle changed how he felt inside her. He was touching parts of her that he'd never touched before and it was an exquisite feeling that she couldn't get enough of. She'd have to try this position out again…and again…and again. She moved her hips, grinding down on him before rising up and sinking back down on him again.

She felt his hands move to steady her, one hand on her hip and one on her ribcage, edging towards her breast, which was sadly just out of reach at this angle. She felt his fingers press into her hips, helping her set a punishing pace, fast, hard, deep and full strokes. Her head fell back as her back arched.

Watching her as she moved above him made his heart go into double time. She was so sexy, so beautiful, and she was all his. He was making her feel this good, she was enjoying herself with him. It was a humbling thought, as he watched her head fall back and her golden hair lightly skimmed the skin of his chest. Without a pause the hand gripping her side moved to tangle in her sleep tousled tresses. She let out a cry of pleasure that let him know she was close. He released her hair and gripped her hips with both hands, helping her keep the punishing pace as her climax rocked through her. He knew the minute her climax hit her. Her muscles tightened around him, making him damn-near go cross-eyed, and she let out a shriek of pleasure. She froze above him, but he was too far gone to wait. He held her hips firm and thrust up into her, letting out his own groan as he came inside her. Her arms wobbled before they gave out and she collapsed on top of him, his arms coming up to hug her from behind. They were both breathing hard as their bodies cooled and calmed. He stretched his neck, placing a kiss to her cheek. "Marry Christmas, babygirl." He rumbled quietly into her ear.

"Merry Christmas."

Beth sipped lightly at the hot cocoa in her mug. It was now a decent hour of the morning and she and Daryl were both sitting on the couch, watching tv. After their wonderful sex this morning, they'd both hopped into a hot shower, which had prompted washing each other, which had led to a bout of teasing and touching that ended with Beth's leg hooked over one of Daryl's arms while his other brought her to a screaming climax. Her legs had been pretty much jelly ever since.

They'd made their way to the kitchen where Beth had made them a stack of pancakes for breakfast, which they'd shared on the couch. Now, fed (and sexually satisfied), Beth was antsy to have him open her present. She fidgeted in her seat, legs moving across his lap until he finally looked at her with a quirked eyebrow. "A-are you ready to open presents?" She squeaked, unable to contain the excitement. Daryl smiled at her before clicking off the television. She tossed the blanket that had been covering both of their laps away and sprung from the couch to their little tree, nestled in the corner. Daryl followed her. Gently she picked up the present that she'd bought and wrapped for him, while he stooped and picked up the little gift she'd noticed the morning.

Quietly they made their way back to the couch. Beth set the present delicately in his lap and grinned. When he just stared at it her smile faltered a little. "Go on, open it." She beamed at him again as he ripped through the paper to reveal the tool belt she knew he'd been eyeing. "I saw you lookin' at it a little while back and snagged it." He looked up at her. "I know it's something you'll use a lot, but I really wanted to get you something you liked." When he continued to just stare at her, she paused, worrying she'd done something wrong. "Everything ok?"

"Yeah…it's just…" he looked down at the tool belt and then back up to her, and he could feel the tips of his ears start to redden. "Ain't nobody ever bought me a present b'fore." He leaned forward giving her a kiss. "Thank you." His words were so heartfelt and honest that it just about broke Beth's soul. No one had ever bought this amazing man a present before. He'd never had a Christmas, and never gotten a present in all his life. That was so sad. Beth was glad she was able to give him this, not just the tool belt, but the whole experience.

She watched as he touched parts of the belt, before gently setting it aside to pick up her box. "It ain't nothing special." He rumbled out and then paused, "I mean, it ain't something you said wanted or anythin'. I just saw it and thought of you." He offered before he gave her the little box. She smiled at him.

"That makes it perfect already." He gave her a single nod and she delicately tore the paper open to reveal a little box. Painstakingly slowly she opened the little box and gasped. Inside was a delicate silver necklace. A music note surrounded by a heart outline hung from the thin chain. The music note had a little yellow stone in the top of it. It was beautiful. Her fingers delicately touched the pendant before she looked up at him. She beamed at him before launching herself practically in his lap. "Daryl, it's beautiful. I love it." She kissed his cheek. "Thank you." She eased out of his embrace to look at the necklace again. "C-can I put it on?" The shy smile he gave her told her she had said just the perfect thing. He gave her a shrug.

"Yeah, if y'want." She could always tell when he was either super happy or super upset. His accent got just a tad thicker. He'd blend words together and drop his 'g's a bit more and hearing him now, made her fit to burst. Delicately she extracted the necklace from the box and hung it around her neck.

' _Pretty as a picture.'_ It was something Daryl's mama had always said about things she'd liked (back before everything went to hell in a hand-basket.) And it was exactly the phrase Daryl would have used to describe how Beth looked wearing that necklace he'd bought her. The way she fawned over it made his ego swell just a little bit, and he thought maybe he'd done this whole Christmas thing right so far. It certainly felt right. When she looked up at him and smiled that special smile, just for him, he knew, that if this was what Christmas was all about, he'd be damn sure they did this every year.


	24. Chapter 24

Daryl watched as Beth flitted around the house, making sure everyone's glasses were full and that the munchies on the table were being refilled when empty. The girl hardly sat down since they'd gotten to the farmhouse, too busy making dinner and talking to her friends and family.

Daryl was sitting, awkwardly, on the couch, watching a bunch of parade floats move across the television screen. He'd tried to help Beth in the kitchen earlier, but had been handed a glass of tea and shooed out of the room. He'd resigned himself to the couch where "the men" were sitting grunting at each other and talking about how the barn needed some new hinges. Daryl didn't want to touch that conversation since it had been six months since he'd offered to reroof the damn thing, and no one had taken him up on the offer. He didn't want to have to start the project in the snow or rain because he'd opened his big fat mouth. Though if he were being honest, the work would be welcomed. Work at the construction company always slowed to an almost crawl during the winter. The rain and weather really made building difficult, and a lot of customers just waited until the warmer months.

He sipped his tea quietly, watching as the brightly lit floats moved across the screen. He had no real interest in the parade, but it sure beat the hell out of talking about the barn, and getting shooed out of the kitchen.

Beth on the other hand was busily working away in the kitchen. She'd already gotten the ham in the oven, had the casseroles prepped, and the biscuits were ready to be cut. She needed to get to work on the pies, but Maggie and Sharon were being thoroughly distracting. They'd had her talking about school all morning. She was excited to go back, and yes, the classes were still just as difficult as they had been. No she didn't have any trouble keeping up because of only being on campus once a week. Yes it did take a lot of patience. No, she hadn't had to quit her job. When she'd finally looked at the clock it had been almost too late to put the ham in the oven to get it cooked in time for everyone to come over.

So far only Maggie had mentioned her necklace, giving her a quick look that Beth didn't even want to touch. She knew what was coming and was steadfastly ignoring it. She was excited for when everyone came over for dinner. There would be eating, and laughing, and opening presents, and games. It was her favorite part of Christmas, seeing everyone being so happy. She popped in the pies and set the egg timer to go off when they were ready. She spied Daryl making his way into the kitchen and just about sighed in relief. He came over and slung an arm around her waist giving her a quick side-ways hug. "You're workin' too hard, Greene." He rumbled above her head by her ear.

"If you wanna eat tonight, I gotta work this hard." She shot a quick playful look over at her sister and Otis's wife. "Seems I'm the only one cooking for all these people."

"Oh Bethy…you know we'll just burn it like last year." Maggie replied with a smile. "We burn water." Beth nodded, thinking back to last year with a fond smile. She'd put her sister in charge of the green bean casserole. It had been already made and ready to go, all she'd had to do was put the darn thing in and set the timer…but it had come out blacker than soot when Maggie had used her phone as the timer and the dang thing had changed to go off a week later. It had been a catastrophe (green bean casserole was Daddy's favorite part.)

"Y'know I ain't afraid to help out if y'need it." He offered. Beth smiled brightly at him.

"That's very sweet, but I've just gotta pull the pies out, and put the casseroles in in about forty five minutes. The ham should be done in about an hour and a half, and then we glaze it and cook it again for another twenty minutes. You go on, and enjoy the men talkin'." Daryl looked properly horrified.

"Beth, they're just talkin' 'bout puttin' hinges on the barn. If I'm not careful they'll have me out there roofing the damn thing while they do it!." She giggled.

"Well, you did offer." She said before kissing his shoulder. "Daddy won't make you roof it while there's snow outside. He'll at least make you wait until it's melted tomorrow." She grinned. He rolled his eyes.

"So dinner will be in a couple hours then?" She let out a quick 'mhm' and turned to ready the casseroles by the oven. A glint of light caught the necklace she was wearing and he couldn't help but smile and reach out to touch it where it lay.

"A necklace is a nice Christmas present…" Maggie started. Daryl had a sinking feeling in his stomach. "You know what would have been even better for your live in girlfriend?" Beth froze, eyes narrowed.

"No, what?" Daryl didn't want to ask, but didn't have the heart to be rude on Christmas.

"A ring." Maggie said quickly with a pointed look at Beth's left had and a raised eyebrow.

"Maggie Greene." Hershel's voice sounded from the doorway to the kitchen. Maggie spun to look guiltily at her dad. "Do not be givin' the boy a hard time on Christmas." He chastised quietly. "They are going at their own pace." Beth looked at her sister triumphantly. "Wait at least until her birthday…" he finished with a teasing grin. Maggie burst out laughing as Daryl's ears began to burn red.

"Daddy!" Beth groaned, shaking her head.

"What?" He asked with wide eyes. "You know I'm only teasin'." He supplied with a grin.

"Yeah, well. You could tease Maggie. She and Glenn have been together a lot longer'n me and Daryl...but I don't see a ring on her finger..." Beth trailed off, tossing a teasing look at Maggie over their daddy's shoulder.

"Your sister ain't the marryin' type." Hershel said flatly, cracking a secret grin as he stared at Beth. Hershel knew his oldest daughter wasn't one to respond to outright teasing, but tell her she couldn't do something, and she'd burn down the world to do it. Maggie let out a choked snort from behind them both.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She crossed her arms over her chest and glowered at both of them.

"Not a thing sweetheart." Hershel kissed her forehead. "How much longer until dinner is done?" He asked, completely changing subject and leaving a sputtering Maggie in his wake.

"It's almost done now. About an hour, maybe an hour and a half. The rest of the gang should be getting here soon." As she spoke, she heard knocking on their front door. "Speak of the devil." She grinned at Hershel. "Go let them in and I'll check the ham." Daryl watched from the kitchen as the guests started filing in.

'The rest of the gang' consisted of his boss Rick (who'd stood there a mite uncomfortable at first) Rick's son Carl and baby girl Judith, Beth's old babysitter Carol (who actually was closer to his age than anyone else's), and Maggie's boyfriend Glenn. A second round of guests turned up about fifteen minutes later, but seemed like they were more Beth's contribution to the party. Abe and Rosita and Tara showed, of course, and Sasha and her brother Tyreese followed quickly behind. By the time the people stopped coming, Daryl was starting to get uncomfortable. He didn't like big crowds and this was easily close to twenty people.

Abe and Rick meandered their way over to Daryl, friendly smiles and chuckles passing between them. "So, you and Beth, huh?"

"Yeah." He nodded.

"Thought that might be the case when I saw you two holdin' hands on the fourth." Daryl's eyes snapped to him quickly, barely remembering that Carl had been there, and if Carl had been there…that means Rick and Judith had been there as well.

"There were so many people there, I don't remember seein' you." He said honestly.

"We didn't really cross paths. I was busy with Judith. You did say hi to Carl though." Rick grinned at him. "I have never seen that boy more pissed off than after that party. He went on for the whole ride home about how Beth was holdin' your hand." Daryl's ears reddened. "He's young. He'll bounce back." Rick clapped him on the shoulder. "You did good, Daryl." Daryl's ears reddened, and before he could say anything a loud ding sounded.

"Alright everyone." Beth called out. "Time to wash up, dinner is done." She passed off Judith to Carl and turned to pull out the ham, and the casseroles. She pulled out all the plates and silverware everyone would need, setting them on the counter so everyone could serve themselves. There were tables and chairs set up around the house (there was no way they were going to be able to fit everyone at their kitchen table) so everyone would get their food and then find their seat somewhere around the house.

Beth stood beside Daryl, beaming. She watched as everyone made their plate and found their seat. The sound of laughing and talking was overwhelming and made her heart swell. She looked at Daryl, who (as usual) was staring at her. "You having a good Christmas?" Daryl looked around at all of their friends and family and a small smile came to his lips.

"Yeah. Best Christmas I've ever had." He kissed the top of her head as he slung his arm around her waist and pulled her into him. "And that's all 'cause of you Babygirl." He rumbled into her skin. She smiled and wrapped an arm around him.

"Good. That was my plan."


	25. Chapter 25

Beth paced back and forth in the living room, staring at her phone as she counted, and recounted the days and weeks. Something wasn't right. No matter how many times she recounted, she still came out too many. Her stomach churned as a sinking feeling weighed her down. She felt sick, and scared. She heard the sound of a key sliding into the lock and froze, phone in hand.

Daryl knew something was up the minute he walked through the door. In the time that they'd lived together she'd never once met him frozen in the living room, pasty white and a look of real concern on her face (not even that time he came home three hours late without calling because he'd dropped his phone from the top of the second story he was studding.) With quick steps he shut the door, dropped his keys on the counter, and was at her side. "What's wrong?" He watched as she bit her lip, her eyes dropping down to her phone before she looked back up at him.

"I…" she moved her phone a bit as if it would explain something. "I think we need to have _the_ talk." Her voice was soft, almost a whisper, and she paled even more (he didn't think that was possible.)

"Ok. So talk…" when she just looked up at him, eyes startled, everything clicked and he felt his stomach sink. "You think…"

"I don't know. I just keep counting and it's coming up late…I'm over a week late. The last time was just before Christmas."

"But we've been careful." He supplied, and instantly felt like an ass. He knew, just as well as she did, that careful wasn't 100%. Everything had a chance to fail…and all it took was once. "What do we do?" She bit her lip and shifted helplessly. "Do y'have anythin' to tell for sure?"

"No…" She said softly. She needed a hug. She needed to feel him there with her, reassuring and solid, to tell her she wasn't alone in this. As if reading her mind, his arms slipped around her and pressed her against his chest. She heard his heart, thumping quickly in his chest, matching hers. Even as her stomach churned and knotted, and her heart thumped rapidly in her own chest, she felt the tension leave her shoulders. She felt more at peace. As long as Daryl was there…she'd never be alone in this.

"Well, let's go get somethin' so we can figure it out for sure." His voice rumbled into her hair. Daryl didn't know how he was doing it, but the calm that sounded in his voice was nothing compared to the wild frantic fear that filled him more and more with each passing second. What the hell did he know about being a dad?

Beth nodded into his chest before pulling away gently to grab her keys and wallet. Without thinking about it too much, he reached out and snagged her hand, giving it a light squeeze. Still grimy and dirty from work Daryl marched back to his truck, letting Beth into the passenger side and climbing back in himself. As the engine roared to life he heard Beth whisper something that he didn't quite catch. His questioning gaze fell on her as her cheeks reddened.

"Can we not go to the supermarket around the corner? Everyone shops there…and you know how talk travels in a small town." He realized, with a thick swallow, that Beth was just as unsettled and bursting with nerves as he was. Trying valiantly to shove down the panic clawing its way up his throat he reached over and squeezed her shoulder, tugging her a little closer to wrap her in an awkward hug.

"We'll go where ever y'want t'go." He knew that if this turned out to be positive, Beth would want to tell her family first before the town gossip mill did it for her. She gave him a quick jerky nod.

"The pharmacy across town is a little further away, but not many people go there." She said quickly. He knew exactly what she was talking about and set the truck in that direction.

When they got inside the pharmacy, it was like Daryl's mind went blank. He had no idea where to find anything, and he was not about to ask. He watched, helplessly, as Beth moved around the aisles. When she paused and delicately reached out, before retracting her hand again. Daryl walked up behind her, his eyes landing on the different boxes. He watched as she seemed to freeze, and he could almost see the wheels in her mind turning. His large rough hand came up and clasped hers. "We'll do this t'gether." His deep voice rumbled. Her big blue eyes peered up at him before a soft, timid smile crept to her lips.

"Together." She said softly before grabbing a box of tests off the shelves. She looked at it and felt a heaviness in the pit of her stomach. She couldn't understand, (well really she could, but they'd been so careful) and her mind was racing a mile a minute. She always wanted a family, a baby of her own, but she'd always pictured it happening somewhat differently. She took a deep breath, curling her fingers around his hand and tugging him quietly towards the cashier.

They paid for their purchase quickly, neither one making much small talk when the friendly cashier asked them how they were doing, and then made their way back into the truck. The drive back to the apartment was one of the longest drives either one of them had ever experienced. The heaviness in Beth's stomach started to churn, the closer they got to the apartment and she felt like she was going to be sick. In all the time they'd been together, they'd never really discussed kids. It wasn't on their radar and now (she wanted kids, but has always assumed that was a conversation they would work in to…in the future). Right now, it felt like they were spiraling down the rabbit hole with absolutely nothing to anchor them.

Daryl shut off the truck, parking in front of the apartment building and looked over at Beth. He could tell she was rattled. She was pale, and lost in her own thought, her eyes glassy and glazed as she tried to work through things in her mind. It gave Daryl a chance to try to sort his spinning thoughts. Beth could be pregnant…what did that mean? He knew what it meant on the surface. She was going to have a baby (IF she was pregnant, that is) but he didn't know anything more than that. Did she want kids? Did she want kids with him? Was she ashamed? What if she didn't want it? Would she carry it and give it up? Would she…get rid of it? His head started to spin. No, even if Beth didn't want kids (which he thought was unlikely) she wouldn't just get rid of it. He knew her at least that much, to know that would be a non-option for her. Her eyes focused and she looked around the parking lot before snapping her gaze to him. "Ready?" She almost whispered in the small space of the cab of the truck. The uneasy feeling in Daryl's stomach intensified. He nodded once and watched as she got out, following closely behind her as they trudged up the stairs.

He slid his key into the lock on the front door and was startled by how loud it sounded in the muted hallway. He shuffled in quietly behind her, watching as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other before blushing and motioning with her hand. "I'm gonna…" She trailed off, her cheeks tinting pink. "I'll be right back." He nodded and watched as she disappeared back into the bedroom.

Daryl flopped onto the couch, wishing with all his might that he had a cold beer to take the edge off. He watched as Beth emerged from the back and his back went ram-rod straight. "Well?" She gave him a soft, small smile.

"It takes a few minutes to process." She sat down next to him, sitting daintily on the edge of the cushion.

"So what do we do now?"

"Talk?" Her voice came out weakly. She looked over at him and he nodded. She felt the cold seep into her stomach. "So…if I am…" She paused, unable to say the word just yet. It made it too real, and real was really, really scary. "What does that mean? I mean, for us?" He looked at her.

"Beth, I'm here for you. Whether you are or ain't…that's not gonna change." He rumbled out. "Do…" He stopped and looked away before dragging his eyes back up to her. "Do y'even want kids?" She nodded.

"Yeah. I've always wanted kids, but…it's not something we've ever talked about."

"Well, I think maybe we should talk 'bout it." He felt his tension ease a little when a small smile ghosted her lips and she nodded. "So, you want kids…" He started.

"Do you?" He thought for a moment.

"I don't know." He looked at her, and hated that she seemed so pained by that answer. "I mean, it ain't like've been given a good example. I wouldn't know the first thing about takin' care of a kid. I think I'd be a shit dad." His voice was gruff, but he was being honest. He'd be lying if he said the thought of having a little girl who looked just like Beth didn't scare the crap out of him.

"No you wouldn't." She took his hand and he squeezed gently. Beth looked at him, the fear swirling around inside her seeming to calm a little. It helped knowing that he didn't hate the idea of kids (just the idea of being a dad scared him.) "You may not have had a great example when you were little, but my daddy was amazing and he'd be right there to help you every step of the way." She paused and realized it seemed like she was confirming his fear. That he'd be shit without someone's help. "But that's beside the point. You are so caring. You remember when I was sick…and you came over and took care of me, just because a friend asked you to check on me?" He nodded once. "That's what being a dad is like. You take care of someone because they can't and you care. You'd love your kids more than you could even imagine. You know how I know that? Because you're a good man." He just stared at her.

"Y'Really think that?" She beamed at him.

"I know it." He took her hands in his.

"I love you, babygirl." He rumbled and she smiled at him.

"I love you too." She stroked his hand with her thumb idly.

"When did y'picture havin' kids?" Her eyes got wide as she thought.

"Not right now. Later in life. After school, I guess." She shrugged.

"D'ya ever picture havin' kids with me?" He didn't know why he asked that. He didn't know why her answer mattered so much to him (yes…he did. He knew exactly why.) He watched as her eyes widened even more, and she paled before flushing pink. She started to open her mouth to answer, but the shrill ring of the phone alarm sounded. She jumped up, staring at her phone and then up at him.

"Time to check…did…" She looked down again. "Did you wanna come look too? Or do you want me to just tell you?" He stood slowly, following behind her as they made their way to the bathroom. The little stick was sitting on the bathroom counter…and it felt like a heavy weight was pressing down on him. He took her hand and looked at her.

"What ever it says, I'm here…y'ain't gotta do this alone." She smiled softly at him and grabbed the stick. She didn't look at it but walked up to him and with a deep breath moved her hand to see the little read out. One line meant no, and two lines meant yes. She took a little breath and studied the little screen that firmly showed one little blue line. "Well?"

"I'm not." She said softly, and was torn with the conflicted emotions that bombarded her all at once. "Here…look." She held the stick up for him to examine. She bit on her lip. Part of her wanted to sigh and giggle in relief, and part of her was surprised at the amount of sadness that coursed through her. She didn't realize a part of her had wanted this; had wanted this (nonexistent) baby.

Daryl studied the perfect single line and then watched Beth's face change as different thoughts assaulted her. He wrapped her in a hug. "Y'know…" he rumbled softly, the nerves swirling around in him serving to clog his throat for a second. "Later, kids with you, might not be so bad…" He hugged her, nestling his face in her hair. The grin that split Beth's face was blinding.

"Really?" She looked up at him and watched as the tips of his ears burned red. He nodded shyly and she hugged him tightly. "I think kids with you might just be a really good idea…" She kissed his shoulder as she cuddled close to him. "Y'know…when we're ready." He let out a soft hum of agreement.


	26. Chapter 26

Beth tapped her pencil against her textbook as she scrolled through the discussions and forums for her online class. Her mind was going a mile a minute. After the scare back in January, she had been trying her best to throw herself into her studies. Two months later and she was nearing the middle of her term, and getting ready for mid-terms. She groaned and snapped her book shut, her shoulders stiffening as she heard a snort come from somewhere behind her in the vicinity of the couch. She turned to face Daryl, who was lounging on the couch watching her.

One prim blonde eyebrow quirked up on her forehead. "What has you snickerin' over there, Mr. Dixon?" She said, trying to add a playful layer of ice to her tone (it didn't work.)

"I ain't snickerin'." He cracked a half smile. "I'm laughing because I knew it would take you about fifteen minutes to get fed up with your classes on a Saturday, and it's only been about ten." He gave her a look she had long since nicknamed his 'sassy look' (though she'd die before telling him that she called it that) and stood up. "Y'need to get outta the house." He grabbed her coat from the couch next to him and tossed it at her. "C'mon. It's almost time to be headin' over to your dad's house anyway." She let out a small groan before a secretive smile had crept to her lips. Maggie had called yesterday fit to burst and said she needed to talk to the whole family. A quick lunch date at the farm had been set up for today.

Beth and Daryl had been taking bets. He had money saying she and Glenn had gotten knocked up. Beth stoutly refused to think she was becoming an aunt (not because it was out of the realm of possibility, but because she knew babies weren't anywhere near Maggie and Glenn's radar…and Maggie was always very careful) and placed her money confidently on the idea that Maggie had gotten that dream job she'd interviewed for two weeks prior. Daryl had rolled his eyes. Winner takes all (a whopping five dollars.)

"True. I gotta find out that you were wrong so I can get my big payday." Daryl let out another snort.

"Think we should pick up a onesie on our way for when she lets us all know that _I'm_ right?"

"Not on your life." She chirped as she shrugged on her jacket and snatched up her keys. She followed Daryl out, watching him as he moved and smiled to herself. Since everything had gone down in January she'd started taking the time to really analyze their relationship as well as Daryl himself. She knew she loved him, but she'd never really taken the time to consider where this was going. So far in the relationship she was living in the moment, which was fine, but the scare had given her a good shake and made her start looking to the future.

She didn't tell him, mind you, not because she didn't want to, but after the whole baby-that-never-was he'd started getting short and distant when they talked about the future. She didn't want to make waves, they'd only been together less than a year. She jerked when she realized…they were coming up on the one year anniversary of their first night together (the night they still couldn't remember). Had it really been that long? Butterflies started in her tummy. She wanted to do something for him to celebrate but right now didn't feel like it would be the best decision right now.

The pair piled into Daryl's truck and Beth made a mental note that she needed to make an appointment to get her car into the shop for that weird ticking that was coming from the motor. It had started on her way back from Atlanta last month, but had steadily gotten worse as time progressed. They'd decided to try and not drive it until they could have it looked at, which Beth needed to get done before her drive to school this week. It effectively left them in a one-car predicament and Beth knew Daryl couldn't go without his truck if she needed to take it to school. No, it was better if she just got her car taken care of before school.

"Damn…" She heard Daryl mutter and her blue eyes darted to him.

"What?"

"Forgot to mention that I took your car to the shop. They're gonna call and let us know if it's something serious." Her face softened and she smiled at him.

"How'd you know I was just thinkin' 'bout that?"

"I can tell your thinkin' face." He said simply with a shrug. He wouldn't tell her that she had many 'thinking faces' that he recognized. She had her 'school thinking face' which often had her gently touching her temple like she was trying to figure out a problem. She had her as-of-yet unnamed 'thinking face' (he didn't know what she was thinking about but she was thinking something serious) where she'd roll her lips back and her eyes glazed a little bit. This new 'thinking face' had only started cropping up after "the scare" (as Beth liked to call it) in January, but Daryl couldn't work up the nerve to ask her about it. The last 'thinking face' he'd seen he'd deemed as her 'fretting face.' She used it when she was fretting or worrying about bills, or something that had to do with responsibilities. The face he'd just seen was her 'fretting face' and he knew she'd been fretting over the car for the past couple of weeks.

"My thinkin' face huh?"

"Yup, your 'thinkin' face.'" He mumbled quietly as he turned onto the main highway. "Anyway, took it in this mornin' and they said it sounds like the timing belt, but they'd have to take a good look at it 'fore they could say for sure." She smiled, nodded and then leaned over to plant a kiss to his cheek.

"You spoil me." She said before she kissed his cheek once more. "Thank you." He gave her a silent shrug but she noticed the corners of his mouth tug up into a small smile for her. He took her hand in his, and she laced their fingers together. The rest of the ride passed by in relative silence, only the radio really making much sound in the small space between them, but it wasn't strained or awkward between them. Before long they were pulling up the familiar dirt road, tires kicking up a cloud behind them. He rumbled to a stop just under one of the big trees by the porch and noticed a big grin on her face. Before he could ask she was speaking. "You ready to fork up the big bucks?" She undid her belt and popped out of the truck faster than he could blink.

He followed, watching her bounce up the stairs and inside the big farm house. "Daddy?" She called as she entered the living room. Daryl heard something from the field behind him, pausing as he mounted the steps to look over his shoulder.

"Beth…" He called. "He's out here." Daryl turned as he heard the old screen door creak open and she came up behind him. They watched as Hershel Greene made his way steadily across the field between the house and the barn. He was wiping his hands on a rag as he went.

"Sorry…" Hershel called as he neared the couple standing on his porch. "The mare wasn't due to birth until later this week, but she's been in labor all morning. Been working with Otis to get the foal out. Little thing was breached, but we got 'im." He gave a nod and smiled fondly up at his daughter. "Come inside with me so I can clean up and you can check on lunch Bethy." She gave a hum as she turned to make her way inside. "Hello Daryl, how are you today?"

"Breathin' so that's better than some folks." Hershel nodded.

"Ain't it though?" The pair of men made their way inside. The smell of roast assaulting their noses as they made their way to the kitchen.

"This is ready to pull out and rest." Beth announced as they entered the room. "Much longer'n it'll be too dry. Might be close to there already." She said matter-of-factly. She pursed her lips. "I'll make a gravy from the drippin's in case it got over cooked."

"I'm sorry Bethy." Hershel sighed. "I just tossed everything in the pan and went out to help Otis. Didn't think I'd be out there so long. 'Sides, it always was your mama who made the roasts without over cookin' it."

"I know. She had that magic touch." Daryl watched as Beth floated around the kitchen she'd grown up in, grabbing bowls and pots to drain the juices and start making the gravy. He loved to watch her work in the kitchen. It was part of the reason he let her cook so often (that and she loved to cook in their little kitchen.) He could burn water more times than not, so the concept of feeling at home in the kitchen was new to him.

As Beth stood, whisking the gravy together they heard another engine rumble up along the path. All eyes turned towards the front door as they heard the crunch of dirt and rock stop, and then engine cut off. "Must be Glenn and Maggie." Hershel said, drying his hands after washing them. "I'll be right back." With that Hershel made his way out to greet the couple.

The three bustled into the kitchen in a flurry of movement and sound (as was typical of Maggie and Glenn nowadays) and Daryl had to take a deep breath to cope with the sudden change in atmosphere.

"Alright y'all…" Maggie started, obviously very excited. "I can't wait for lunch to be served." Beth's eyes darted over to Daryl, a playful glint hiding in her crystalline orbs. "Daddy, Beth…Daryl," Maggie turned to look at Glenn. "Glenn proposed y'all. We're getting' married!"

The moment of shocked silence stretched between them before a loud girly squeal emitted from Beth's throat and she launched herself at her sister. "Oh my goodness!" Beth let out another squeal and hugged her sister again. Maggie dragged her hand up to show Beth the ring as the two gushed and cooed about the wonderful news.

Daryl eyed Glenn, standing against the door jamb, next to Hershel. "Looks, like I'm gettin' another son." Hershel said with a small smile. "Welcome to the family Glenn." Hershel patted Glenn on the shoulder. The men watched as Beth and Maggie moved out of the kitchen, lunch completely forgotten, and Daryl couldn't help the heavy weight that seemed to be pressing down on his chest. As soon as Maggie had blurted out that she was getting married, Daryl had felt the unmistakable urge to swallow his tongue. It wasn't that he was against marriage, but after everything had happened between Beth and him, he'd had a chance to think about their future (not something he'd really dared before.)

Daryl wasn't afraid of commitment, but he'd never seen a good marriage actually work. What did he know about being married or being a good husband? Not a damn thing. Did he see himself getting hitched to Beth? Well, hell, he just didn't know. He knew he didn't want whatever they had to end, but marriage? That was a path he'd never really considered before.

Lunch was a blur of jokes and the girls talking. Maggie and Beth were planning dress shopping dates, and talking things that sounded plain gibberish to him. Caterers, and venues, and florists. Jeez, weddings sounded complicated. He caught Beth's eyes and she smiled at him, clearly elated for her big sister, and Daryl felt something tighten in the vicinity of his heart. There was this excited glimmer in her eyes that screamed of excitement and happiness. He'd never seen anything like it before, and it positively captivated him.

Glenn nudged him quietly, "Didn't realize this was going to turn into a big thing…" He mumbled and Daryl had to keep from snorting.

"You just proposed to a Greene girl…there ain't no way it wasn't goin' to be a big thing." Glenn grinned at him.

"Looks like you've got a sneak peek at what to expect when it's your turn." Daryl grit his teeth and instantly Glenn knew that was the wrong thing to say. "I mean…if you guys decide…I mean…uh…" Daryl gave a short grunt and that was the end of the conversation. Glenn shifted nervously in his seat.

Daryl couldn't help the pinch of sympathy the stole through him at the younger man's discomfort. He didn't want it to seem like marriage was completely off the table…it just wasn't something he'd ever really thought about for himself. He looked over at Beth again. After the whole scare, the idea of a more permanent thing with Beth had become more of a reality. He saw the glimmer in her eyes again and was flooded with a warmth in his chest.

One thing he knew for sure, he wanted to see that excited glimmer in Beth's eyes everyday for the rest of his life. He wanted to see that excitement, that joy, that dreamy-eyed glint that he knew most girls grew up with when they thought about their dream wedding.

It was like a light bulb turned on in Daryl's mind. He wanted to marry Beth Greene…and he was so filled with feelings about it he didn't know what to do. Beth reached over without looking at Daryl took his hand gently under the table and Daryl hid a small smile.

Yeah, he wanted to marry Beth Greene alright…and he wanted to spend the rest of his life seeing that glimmer in her happy gaze.


	27. Chapter 27

Daryl let out a groan as he stood to make his way across the living room. His eyes caught sight of one of the million bridal magazines that was littering the apartment. By the look of it, he'd swear Beth was planning her own wedding, not her sister's but, truth be told, he would have been surprised if it had been any other way. The Greene's were a tight knit group and to think Beth wouldn't be front and center for Maggie's big day (and behind the scenes for the planning) would have been crazy. A loud sloppy knock sounded on the door and Daryl knew instantly who it was. He braced himself, setting his empty cup down on the counter as he passed to the door.

"Well, baby brother…you are still alive." Merle's voice sounded as Daryl swung the door wide. "Where you been hidin' boy?"

"Ain't been hidin'." Daryl grumbled as he gestured for Merle to come on inside the apartment. "Just been busy." Merle nodded as he kicked the door closed behind him.

"Right. Sure, you been busy hidin' away with Sunshine in this apartment. What…she got your balls in a vice and don't let you go out no more?" Daryl shot his brother a glare, but it was only half-hearted. Since Beth had gotten Merle wrapped around her finger that first night, Merle had refrained from seriously referring to her as a ball buster. If it was mentioned (this was Merle after all) it was just a joke and it didn't ruffle anyone's feathers anymore.

"Nah. It ain't like that." Daryl walked into the kitchen, filling up his cup with some water. "Beth's been busy with school, and work has been picking up now that the snow and rain are out of the way. Rick's been looking at finding a new foreman since the last guy retired. Been workin' my ass off thinkin' it might be good to get that promotion." Merle nodded before walking over to the fridge to look inside. He helped himself to a beer. "Jesus, Merle…it ain't even noon yet." Daryl huffed.

"Well la-ti-da baby brother. Tryin' to set yourself up for a promotion and look at you…got rules and morals and shit. Since when has it ever had to be after noon for a Dixon man to have a beer?" with that he popped the top to the can and took a deep swig. They both meandered into the living room and had a seat on the couch. The choking sound that twisted Merle's throat was enough to make Daryl grin wide. "You thinkin' of getting' hitched baby brother?" Merle's voice almost seemed desperate and panicked.

"Nah…why?" It was none of Merle's damn business that Daryl had finally come to the realization that he did, indeed, want to marry Beth.

"Then why in the hell is your place littered with wedding magazines?" Merle fingered the edge of a glossy magazine that had a woman dressed in a very elegant and fine white gown.

"Mags got engaged and, you know the Greene's. Beth is neck deep in helpin' her plan it." Daryl picked up the magazine and then tossed it off to the side (on top of a rather large stack of yet more wedding magazine.)

"God damn. You had me scared there for a second."

"Why?"

"You know us Dixon's ain't the marryin' type. We ain't exactly had good role models." Merle took a drink from his beer. "We'd be shit at it and make any girl miserable. Nah, it's best you and Sunshine just keep playin' house…that way when it goes to shit it ain't like you gotta cut the couches in half." Daryl let out a snort as his stomach twisted. They sat in silence for a few heartbeats, Daryl silently churning over the conversation he and Merle had had, and Merle happily sipping his beer.

"What brings you to this neck of the woods?" Daryl rasped, finally unable to stand the silence and his raging thoughts.

"Haven't seen ya in a while. Wanted to stop by and see if you could get permission to come out and play for a little while."

"Knock it off Merle." Daryl wasn't in the teasing mood anymore. "You know, you have been busy doin' your own shit too."

"Very true. Been on the straight and narrow since Beth gave me her apartment. Even got a job workin' as a bouncer at the bar just across town." Daryl nodded. Merle had been doing well for himself. "But I do have a weekend comin' up with no work and no plans and wondered if you wanted to go on a huntin' trip. I know you ain't been out in a while and thought maybe you'd want to take a break from playin' house." Daryl paused and rubbed his chin lightly. That did sound like a hell of a great idea. He'd need to let Beth know (not ask permission, mind you) that way she wouldn't be worried if he was gone for two days without calling.

"Sounds great. I've been wantin' to go out for a while but work's been hell and I haven't been able to."

"Mhm…work." Merle said in a disbelieving tone. "You can admit to being pussy whipped…it's ok. I wont bust your balls too much if you do." The doorknob jiggled a bit before the door swung wide and Beth was standing in the doorway. "At least you're whipped by something that looks like that." He almost whispered as he stood up to greet her. "Well, hello there Angel! Been missin' you! I think my brother is the most greediest bastard in all of Georgia, keepin' you locked up an' all to himself." He teased before walking over to her and sweeping her up in a hug.

She let out a soft peel of laughter. "Hello to you too Merle." She patted him on the arm as he set her down. "He hasn't been keepin' me locked up here. We've just been busy, especially since I got finals coming up." They both made their way into the living room where Beth gave Daryl a quick kiss.

"So what are you two boys up to?"

"Just thinkin' 'bout settin' up a huntin' trip for a weekend comin' up." Daryl muttered, hoping it didn't sound too much like he was asking permission.

"That sounds like a great idea!" Beth exclaimed. "You have been so busy with work. I think going out for some brotherly bonding time would be good for you." The looks of abject horror that passed both Merle and Daryl's faces was priceless.

"Shit, Beth…it ain't like we're gonna be braiding each other's hair and tellin' stories about being on the rag." Daryl griped. "We're gonna be out shootin' shit and drinkin'." Beth gave a shrug.

"Fine." She sighed. She hated when Daryl got into his 'macho man' mentality, but she wasn't going to let it ruffle her feathers. Men could be so silly sometimes. "I think going out and shootin' shit and drinkin' would do you a world of good." She amended, "You've been cooped up in the apartment too much. You deserve to go out and enjoy yourself."

"See there, baby brother," Merle interjected quickly. "She wants you to go out. Told ya she was getting' tired of your grumpy ass." Beth gave a snort as Daryl rolled his eyes. "We'll plan it for next weekend. That suit your schedule just fine?"

"Sure." Beth grinned at him before she turned her eyes to Merle.

"So, word around town is you've found yourself a girl friend." Beth said quickly. Daryl's eyes flicked from Beth to Merle in time to watch the older man's face tint an ungodly shade of red that Daryl had never seen before.

"What are you talkin' 'bout Angel? You know I only got eyes for you. As soon as you wise up and leave this sorry excuse for a Dixon…I'll be more'n happy to show you what a Dixon is truly capable of." He waggled his eyebrows at her and she rolled her eyes.

"Oh, and I thought the word on the street about you and Andrea was true. That's a shame." The red tinge on Merle's face got a bit darker.

"Well, we ain't exactly exclusive…" He trailed off. "But she's fun to look at, and she knows how to have a good time." He gave a shrug. "We're just testin' the waters." He grumbled as he saw Daryl shoot him the biggest shit-eating grin. "What the hell you grinnin' at Daryl? Ain't like I've popped the question. Just having a lil fun is all."

"Just love the fact that Beth made you turn all red'n shit. It's fuckin' awesome."

"Shut up, Daryl." Merle muttered. Beth rolled her eyes.

"Merle, are you stayin' for lunch?" She asked, hoping to change the subject.

"Angel, if you're cookin' you know I'm stayin'." He shot her a smile. She grinned.

"Good. I think I could use some help." She said quickly. If she left the two of them alone they'd come to blows and she wasn't going to have that. "Would you mind? I promise I wont make you wear the apron." She added when she noticed he gave her a suspicious stare. With a shrug Merle followed her into the kitchen to help make lunch.

Beth let out a contented sigh as she pressed her back against Daryl's still heaving chest. The hum of pleasure still soared through her body as she felt her racing heart begin to slow and Daryl wrapped his arms around her. She felt his nose nuzzle her hair as they cuddled (though she would never make him admit it to anyone but her) and smiled. His voice rolled over her ear.

"So, you sure you're gonna be alright next weekend while I'm gone?"

"Of course." She giggled. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Nah I mean…y'ain't mad right?" She popped up and looked at him, surprise in her eyes.

"Why would I be mad?" He gave her a shrug. "Your life does not revolve around me. You are allowed to go do things with out me, and you're allowed to do it without feeling guilty. Daryl…you work so hard…you are allowed to unwind on your own and go have a good time with your brother." He shifted under her and she could tell he felt uncomfortable. "As long as it's not too good a time. Best not catch you with any hickies when you get back." She grinned at him, clearly teasing and just about cackled at the indignant look that crossed his features. "Daryl…I'm teasin'." She said softly before he could protest. She kissed him. "Mostly…"

"Beth…you are something else." He rumbled as he wrapped his arms around her. "Always keep me on my toes, that's for damn sure." She smiled at him.

"Well, Mr. Dixon, it sounds like you kinda like me…"

"Yeah. I think I'll keep ya 'round for a while." He quirked a smile before kissing her again.

"Oh…well that's good to hear." She smiled into the kiss. "Because I wasn't planning on goin' anywhere."

"Good to hear."


	28. Chapter 28

Planning a hunting trip took a little longer than anyone expected. Merle had come over at the end of March, and Daryl was looking at almost a month (now the end of April) before he was able to call his big brother to officially set up the weekend, and to say he was itching to get out would have been the biggest understatement of he century. Friday dawned bright, and a tad sticky, the summer humidity was coming in early this year, and Daryl knew it was going to be a good weekend. He'd taken the day off (Rick hadn't even batted an eye when Daryl had asked) and was actually excited about being able to unplug from the world for a while.

He kissed Beth's cheek and smiled to himself as she groggily muttered something to him that was hard to make out around the mouthful of pillow she was currently trying to swallow. He snatched up his phone and stared at it for a moment. Normally he'd just leave it at home, but one quick glance over to the mess of blonde hair and blankets, and he knew the best thing was to shove the damn thing in his pocket just in case.

If Beth was anything, she was a worrier. Usually she worried to herself, but recently her worry had spilled over and out for him to see. When he'd mentioned just taking a knapsack with some clothes she'd looked so horror-stricken it had been adorable. That night he'd caught her shoving blankets, sleeping bags, and a tent into the back of his truck. He hadn't had the heart to take the stuff out when she'd looked at him, so honest, and just said "I wanna make sure you have everything you might need." The girl had no idea what it meant to go hunting (that much was obvious) and was equating it with the closest thing she could: camping. That was how Daryl found himself climbing into a truck with the back loaded up with blankets, a tent, and sleeping bags. He knew he'd never even pull them out of the bed, but if it put her worrying mind to rest then he'd take all the gear along.

Daryl pulled up outside of the apartment building where Beth used to live and let out a breath. He was hoping and praying that Merle was already awake and ready to go. Hopefully he hadn't gotten shit-faced last night and stayed out until the wee hours of the morning. With a twist of his wrist Daryl pulled the keys from the ignition and made his way up the stairs to the familiar door. One sharp knock and Daryl was surprised to see Merle pulling the door open, looking almost as excited as a child about to go to an amusement park for the first time. "Bout damn time, baby brother." Merle said with a crooked smile. "Expected you to be here 'fore the sun came up." Daryl quirked an eyebrow at him.

"A bit excited, are we Merle?"

"Nah…just don't want everything to get warm." And with that Merle swept his arm to the side showing Daryl a large stash of beer and liquor. Daryl almost groaned.

"Merle, can't take that shit huntin'. You'll get so piss drunk, you'll shoot yourself…or even better, your drunk ass will wind up shootin' me, and then you'll have to answer to Beth." Daryl pointed at Merle. "Ain't no way I'm cleanin' up that mess this close to finals." Merle let out a snort.

"Scared of a set of blue eyes and a head of blonde hair, huh, Daryl? Gone soft already? Ain't even been a year yet."

"Nah, I ain't gone soft…you just ain't seen Beth get all worked up when she's stressed out." He supplied. And it was true. Finals week was always bad for Beth. He'd learned after the first one, don't argue with her. And, he'd learned after the second one: don't leave her to her own devices. Both times they'd ended up having a go at it that wound up with him sleeping on the couch while she grumbled and groaned over her books. He'd never seen anything like it. She was all fire, and fierce, and quick-witted as he'd ever heard her. She was a sight to behold when she got on a kick (he just prayed to God that he wasn't the one to piss her off) and it mesmerized him to watch.

The closest thing he could think of to describe it was fire. She was strong, and hot, and dangerous, but beautiful and almost magical as her anger and annoyance took over. The first time he'd watched her dig into Abe he'd been awe-struck…and then she'd turned on him. It had been the worst week of either of their lives (both times) and he was not about to get on her shit list because he let Merle drink and hunt.

"You think that little wisp o' nothin' is gonna do somethin' to me?" Merle let out a crack of raucous laughter. "You done been dropped on your head too many times little brother. That little spit-fire won't do nothing to me…you wait and see." Daryl just rolled his eyes.

"Fine…but I end up shot with buck-shot and you'll be the first person who gets to deal with her." Merle let out a hum as he shoved a case of beer into Daryl's hands. With a sigh, Daryl turned and marched to his truck, setting the case of beer in the back, next to the tent and sleeping bags.

"Well, Daryl…is this gonna be a huntin' trip or a campin' trip?" Merle let out a whistle as he spotted the camping supplies that Beth had stocked the truck with.

"Beth decided last night that I needed all this stuff, and rather than argue I just left it. I don't even plan on pullin' it out of the truck." Daryl said as he watched Merle put the cooler (the cooler he'd knicked a couple years back if Daryl remembered correctly) into the back of the truck next to the case of beer. Merle tucked his shotgun into the back and then both of them climbed into the cab. "Still using that damn shotgun? Don't you realize it's gonna scare off half the game?"

"Yeah, but old habits die hard. You still using that pansy-ass bow?"

"Dammit Merle, it's ain't a bow. It's a crossbow and yes I am still usin' it. It's accurate and don't scare off other animals every time I shoot it." Merle let out a scoff as they climbed into the cab of the truck and made their way out of town.

Daryl watched as Merle downed another can of beer and grimaced. It had been two whole days of shit hunting, very little to catch mainly because Merle insisted on drinking himself stupid and refusing to leave their little clearing where they'd made camp. Merle was the 'sit and wait' kind of hunter, where as Daryl liked a more proactive approach. So far all they'd done was set up a base camp (basically a place for them to hunker down when it got dark and have a camp fire to keep warm by) and then Daryl had the pleasure of watching Merle down almost an entire twelve pack of crappy beer. And that was just today! At this rate, Daryl was already itching to get back home. He could think of better ways to spend his time than sitting here with his brother cussing up a storm and belching after too many drinks.

Daryl was glad they were leaving the next morning. This was the worst hunting trip he'd ever been on. Of course, this was the first one in a good number of years that he'd gone on a trip with Merle. He'd forgotten how Merle actually didn't really hunt much; he used the time to get shit faced. Daryl wished he'd remembered that weeks ago when he'd planned all this, but there was no use griping over it now. He was going to enjoy at least one day of this damned trip!

Daryl stood, brushing off his pants and grabbed his crossbow. "You can sit here all you want, I'm gonna go out and hunt somethin'. You comin'?"

"Nah, you go ahead." Daryl shook his head, slinging his bolts over his shoulder as he started through the brush. It seemed to take forever before he stopped hearing Merle's distinct sounds, but as soon as he escaped them the forest seemed to come alive with creatures. He knew most of them were little things like lizards and birds, but the sounds seemed to comfort him and he took a moment to breathe in the scents and get lost in the foliage.

With a silent breath and a heavy peace that covered him, Daryl hefted his crossbow up and stared down the sight. His eyes caught on to a trail of prints. Probably long gone, but that didn't matter. Daryl didn't think he'd be catching anything this trip. (The tracking was the thrill anyway.) Daryl heard something rustling some under brush and he froze, finger poised above the trigger. The rustling grew louder and Daryl held his breath from his crouched position.

A loud screeching sounded and Daryl had to resist the urge to tilt his head in confusion. The screeching sounded almost like a cat screech, but there was a tinge of something else, something definitely not feline. The tip of his crossbow dipped down until it rested firmly on the ground. Daryl gently set his crossbow against his leg, one hand still on the trigger, the other reached out to move some of the under brush.

As his hand moved to clear away some of the leaves blocking his view, the screeching sound seemed to get a bit louder, shriller, almost like the creature was scared. With one last swipe of his hand, Daryl found himself staring at a baby raccoon, curled up next to the body of, what Daryl assumed was, its mama. The little animal tried desperately to bury into the mother's side and Daryl felt the tell-tale tug in the general vicinity of his heart. The mom was long since dead, though Daryl couldn't tell from what, and he knew if he didn't do something, this baby raccoon was well on its way to follow.

A voice sounded in the back of his head (a voice sounding suspiciously like Beth) that promptly told him he couldn't let this little helpless thing stay here, unprotected and uncared for. With a groan (he knew Merle was going to rip him a new one as soon as he laid eyes on the little fur ball) Daryl peeled off his vest and gently reached out towards the quivering little mass. The raccoon closed its eyes and tried to roll into a tighter ball against the furry side of its mother. With careful hands Daryl scooped it up and wrapped it in his vest. He stood, hefting his crossbow up in one hand and made his way back to camp.

Merle quirked an eyebrow once Daryl broke through the tree line into the little clearing. "Clean it up Merle. Gotta head back to the city." Merle stared at the little bundle in Daryl's arms.

"Thought the whole point of huntin' was to kill it, Daryl…not bring it home as a pet." He slurred, standing and brushing off his pants. He kicked some dirt onto the smoldering remains of their fire.

"Yeah, yeah." Daryl didn't have time, nor the patience, to listen to Merle run his mouth. "Just help me clean camp so we can go. You ain't done nothing but get shit-faced anyway. Ain't like we're missin' much any way." Daryl scooped up his knapsack of clothes and made his way through so more brush towards the truck. He tossed the knapsack in the bed of the truck, and carefully deposited the little bundle in the driver's seat, before turning around to gather the last of their supplies. Merle was still stumbling around, laughing to himself about something 'pansy-ass' this and 'pussy whipped' that. Daryl rolled his eyes, grabbed the last of their supplies. "Merle, hurry your ass up, or I'll leave you here."

Merle let out a loud guffaw before following, loudly, behind Daryl to the truck.

The drive out had seemed to go in the blink of an eye, but the drive back seemed to take a million years. Daryl's eyes drifted down to the fur ball currently curled up in his vest against his leg and a soft smile came to his lips. The damn thing was cute, but he wasn't keeping it.

After just about kicking Merle out on his ass, Daryl almost floored it back to his apartment. "Beth." He called as he came into the apartment. "Beth c'mere." He called, the bundle cradled against his chest. Beth rounded the corner, surprise on her features.

"Daryl, I wasn't expecting you back until tomorrow!" She smiled, and then her eyes caught sight of the bundle. "Daryl…what?" She let out a gasp as her eyes landed on the little raccoon. She let out a little squeal before scooping it up and cradling it to her.

"Don't get attach." Daryl warned. "We aren't keepin' it." Even as he spoke it, he knew those words were falling on deaf ears. He watched as Beth nodded, not really paying attention to what he was saying. "I mean it. We're just going to make sure he can take care of himself and then we're tossin' him back out into the wild where he belongs."

"Mhm." She hummed wrapping the little thing in her sweater. "Come on. We need to get 'im looked at. Daddy will know what to do. We can get him vaccinated so he isn't dangerous and he's healthy." Beth cooed down at the raccoon, who to its credit, seemed to be taking well to Beth's presence. He burrowed against her, a little paw clutching a finger. "Oh Daryl...can we call 'im Bandit?" Her blue eyes landed on him and he knew he was done for.

"Beth, I'm tellin' you…we ain't keepin' 'im." He growled, as he followed her out to the truck.

"I know Daryl. I know. But just until we let him go. I'm callin' him Bandit." She looked down at the baby, stroking his head gently. "You'll like it here, Bandit. Yes, you will." She cooed and Daryl had to struggle not to roll his eyes. He was screwed; so very screwed. He watched as the bubbly blonde bustled into the truck, baby raccoon tucked tightly against her breast and knew…they had just adopted a damn baby raccoon…and it was his own damn fault.


	29. Chapter 29

Beth sighed as she got into her car. She was not looking forward to this week. It was finals week and she was going to be traveling to campus a couple times this week to take her finals. Luckily between her five finals they only landed on two days, so she only had to make the arduous journey on those days. She looked at the clock on her car by the stereo and groaned. She needed to go in order to make it to campus on time for her first final. She definitely didn't want to be late. She threw the car in drive and pulled out of her parking spot and made her way towards the high way. The sun wasn't even up yet and she was driving to school in order to make her seven a.m. final. She clicked on her blinker to merge into traffic on the highway and started replaying her plans for the day.

She had to take her first final starting at seven, and that ond would only take two hours (even though the final "block" time was scheduled for three) so she would have a good solid three hours to study before her next final at noon. That final would most likely span all three hours (it was her hardest class and the professor was well known for his intensive exams that were long and tedious.) She'd be done for the day by three and then be able to make the trip back home…where she'd have to pick up groceries and then make dinner when Daryl got home from work. Beth groaned again. It was going to be a long day, but she knew Friday would be longer (today was Tuesday so she had two days of recuperation time and time to study before her last three finals.)

Friday she would start her first final at ten, her second at noon, and her last at four. Each one of those were scheduled for two hour blocks, so she'd be done with her last final by six, and home by…God only knew what time. Getting out of the city on a Friday was going to be hell, especially during rush-hour traffic.

Beth flipped on the radio, turning it up a little louder than normal to help clear her sleep befuddled mind. She so didn't want to be doing this right now. She wanted to be curled up in bed next to Daryl's warm body with Bandit curled up on the pillow by her head. She let out another sigh and turned on her blinker to merge on to the interstate that would take her to campus.

Daryl woke to Beth placing a gentle kiss to his forehead, but couldn't muster enough consciousness to fully enter the land of waking. His eyes closed and he was lost back to the warm embrace of sleep again. The next time he woke, Bandit was curled up by his head and sunlight was streaming through the windows and into his face. He ran a rough hand over his face and grunted. He sat up and his eyes scanned the room, noticing Beth's laptop and books were gone. "That's right…finals." He mumbled as he flung the blankets away from himself. It was Tuesday and he'd purposefully taken today off to get things done so Beth could stress just a little less. She'd been going crazy these last two week, preparing for finals and had been working herself to complete exhaustion. There were times she'd be passed out on top of her books when Daryl would get home, and before he could even carry her to bed she'd jump up, half asleep and bleary eyed, and scurry into the kitchen to scrounge up some food for them to eat. (More often than not she'd end up burning it because she was so out of it, and they'd end up ordering a pizza or some other take out.)

Daryl was determined to make sure she didn't lift a damn finger when she got home. He had a full list of crap to do, and didn't have time to be lazing around in bed all day. He heard Bandit stretch on the pillow next to him, his little claws scratching against the fabric of the pillowcase, and scratched his ear. After they'd taken him to Hershel and gotten him check up and vaccinated (Hershel had given him a look of complete pity when Daryl had announced that they were only keeping him long enough to make sure he wasn't going to die out in the wilderness on his own) he'd put his foot down and said the little critter was not going to be sleeping in the bed with them.

They'd gone out to buy a little cat bed to put right next to their bed, but their first night the little thing had either cried half the night or scratched his way around the room until neither one of them could sleep for fear of what he was getting into. Beth had scooped him up and pressed him lightly against her skin, giving Daryl a pleading look and a quiet "Just for tonight?" and that had been all she'd wrote. The damn thing had slept with them every night for the rest of the month, and Daryl was starting to think that was never going to change.

Daryl gave the little raccoon another once over before climbing out of bed. Quickly he donned a pair of jeans and a t-shirt before scooping up the random bits of laundry around the room. Time for item number one on his to-do list: laundry. Beth always did laundry on Tuesdays (it was usually her online class day, so she could throw in a load, do her work and kill two birds with one stone) so Daryl was going to make sure it got done. He looked at the little hamper of clothes and knew he should separate everything out into piles, but didn't really know what piles they should be in. With a quick shrug he made his way to the little stacked washer and dryer tucked next to the linen closet, and tossed everything into the washer. Setting the dial to colors (there were only a couple white shirts in the load anyway) he dumped in some soap (you don't have to measure laundry soap do you?) and closed the lid and walked away.

He made his way into the kitchen and brewed himself a cup (a whole damn pot because, why not?) of coffee before stooping down to grab the bowl they were using to feed Bandit, who was sitting quietly in the middle of the floor, staring at him with that expectant look. He grabbed a tin of the wet cat food that they were using for the base of his diet and scooped out half of the contents before adding some banana slices and some of the carrot sticks Beth had cut before she left. He set the bowl down and watched as Bandit scooped up fistfuls of the food and started chowing down. Daryl grimaced but shrugged. At least the damn thing was eating. He stuck his head back into the fridge to look at what they had still. Tuesdays were also grocery days (something about it being the least crowded day) and Daryl wanted to make sure he picked up stuff they'd need, rather than things they already had.

He noted they needed some butter, and could do with some ground beef for a few dinners, some lunch meat for sandwiches, and some more cat food for Bandit. Maybe he'd pick up some watermelon if it was in season. Beth liked watermelon and he thought Bandit might like a few pieces to add to his diet as well. Writing everything down on the little pad of paper that Beth kept by the fridge, he made a quick note to make sure to check and see if they had her favorite cereal too. She'd been going without because it hadn't been on sale recently, and he was going to pick some up, sale or not.

He petted Bandit's head quickly and snatched up his keys to make his way to the store, list in hand.

Beth flipped the page of her textbook and chanced a glance at her phone. The time was sitting there, almost like a horrid glare across the room. She needed to get up and go to her next final, but she was dreading it. Luckily, this professor (known for ridiculous midterms and finals) allowe index card of cheat notes. She had been surprised when he'd told them at the start of the class (during their first on-campus lecture) but she'd been very glad after her first midterm (this horrid class had two midterms and a final). With a sigh she closed her book, tucked her filled index card in her pocket and made her way to her last final for the day. She was excited to just get it over with, and be able to head home before all the traffic for the day. She pulled out her phone to text Daryl.

 _Should I pick up food on my way home today?_

If she picked up food on the way it would at least make getting dinner finished happen a bit faster.

 _Nah. We can do it together when you get home._

She sighed before glaring down at her phone. She'd wait and go shopping with him, but it was going to make the day infinitely longer.

Daryl smiled down at his phone, gathering the bags up in his hands. He'd have to make two trips up to the apartment but the groceries were bought and ready to be put away.

Setting the last bags down in the kitchen Daryl grimaced for a moment. Maybe he'd gone a bit overboard. He'd left the apartment intending on picking up a few things, but once he'd gotten to the store everything had sounded good. He gave a shrug. They'd eat it eventually so it wasn't really that big a deal.

He tucked the frozen foods away in the freezer, the cold food in the fridge and the rest into the cupboards before making his way into the living room. He stopped and stared at Bandit, currently halfway up the drapes that Beth had bought, and groaned. They were shredded, and the blinds that came with the apartment were destroyed as well. He plucked the baby raccoon off the curtains and surveyed the damaged. With a sigh, everything was going to have to be replaced, Daryl placed Bandit on the ground. "Mama's going to kill you, ya little furball." He shook his head and turned to the laundry. The clothes were done being washed, he noticed with a smile, and tossed everything into the dryer. He checked his watch. Beth would be home in about three hours, so he had enough time to get the laundry done, dinner made, and the house cleaned.

 _Ya gone soft baby brother…_ the voice in the back of his head sneered at him. He stopped, he may have gone soft, but seeing that smile on Beth's face when he'd done something good to help out was worth it.

Beth rubbed at her eyes as she climbed up the stairs towards the apartment. She was wiped out. She was really not looking forward to going grocery shopping and making dinner. Maybe she could convince Daryl to order a pizza and she'd do the shopping tomorrow.

She opened the door and was instantly assaulted by the heavenly smell of cooking food. She ambled her way into the kitchen where she saw Daryl stirring a pot of something brown and bubbly and amazing smelling. She dropped her book back by the door, a surprised look on her face.

"What's all this?" Daryl looked up at her, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

"Made dinner." He shrugged. "Made that stew you like so much." She smiled at him and walked up, stretching to place a kiss to his cheek.

"That's so sweet of you."

"Did the shoppin' too…but I may have gone a bit overboard." He grinned at her again before showing her the stuffed cupboards and fridge. She shook her head but smiled up at him.

"Well, thank you for doing the shoppin'." At least he'd tried. They just wouldn't have to go again for a while.

"But I do have some bad news." She turned to him, her smile falling a bit. She felt Bandit scratching at her leg, wanting up, and she stooped down to pick him up, scratching his belly lightly. "Bandit destroyed the blinds and curtains in the livin' room. We're gonna have to replace them next paycheck." She looked down at Bandit with a frown on her face, but the baby raccoon seemed unaffected as he snuggled down into her arms against her chest. "And…I tried to do laundry today…" Her eyes darted up to him and she noticed he wouldn't look at her. "I dried that top you like, the loose gray one…" She stifled a groan. "And now it looks like it could fit Bandit…" His blue eyes flicked over to her before looking back down to the pot he was suddenly very interested in. " M sorry." He muttered. She let out a breath.

"It's alright. I appreciate that you tried. Next time I'll make sure I teach about the special shirts I have. I only have a couple so you'll know to look out for them." He looked at her again, a look of almost horror on his face and she resisted the urge to snicker. "Or I'll just keep them in a special place so you don't have to worry about makin' sure they're clean." His horror dissipated. She nudged him with her shoulder. "How long until we can eat? I'm starving."

"It's done, just been waitin' for you to get home." She set Bandit down on the ground and turned, snatching two bowls from the cabinet.

"Well, then, let's eat." He nodded dishing out some stew in each bowl. "I can tell you all about my crazy finals." She teased as they walked into the living room.

"Oh…I can't wait." He grumbled as he sat down on the couch next to her.


	30. Chapter 30

Beth was sitting on the bed, laptop in her lap as the video of her favorite television show played (she loved summer when she wasn't in classes and could just binge watch tv), when she heard her cell phone ringing. Without taking her eyes off the screen she leaned over and grabbed her phone off the night stand, clicking it on without even looking at the name on the caller id.

"'Lo?" She chirped into the phone.

"Beth? Is that you?" Her back stiffened and her eyes darted around the room as Rick's voice hit her ear. She knew Rick as one of her daddy's friends, but she also knew he was Daryl's boss. Since he had no reason to call her about her daddy that just left…

"Daryl…" She was leaping off the bed, bouncing a sleeping Bandit completely off the bed in her haste. She pulled on a pair of jeans (shucking her sleep pants in one fluid motion) before Rick could even say another word. "What happened? Is he alright? Rick, what happened?" She grabbed a white cardigan and pulled it over her yellow polo that she'd been sleeping in.

"Beth, calm down. Daryl is alright. Or at least…he ain't dead." She paused in her mad dash to gather her things. "He was on a scaffold that came down from under him. He got pretty banged up."

Beth breathed a sigh. "So is he on his way home?"

"Well, there's more…" Beth's heart jumped up into her throat again. She slipped her shoes on and grabbed her keys along with her wallet before bolting out the front door.

"Rick…just tell me what happened. Where is he?"

"He's at Grady Memorial." Rick said quickly. "The scaffold dropping him would have left him bruised and annoyed, but the scaffold above him, along with the man and all his tools came down on top of him before he could get out of the way. He took a nice knock to the head and his arm was just smashed under all the debris." Beth jammed her keys into the ignition of her car, cranked it over and just about peeled out of the parking lot in her haste to get to the hospital. Grady was a big hospital, closer to Atlanta than their town, which told her his injuries were pretty bad to have him shipped off there. Her heart was hammering in her ribcage.

"How bad is it?" She choked out, trying desperately not to cry.

"He'll be alright, but he's gonna be out of work for a while. His arm is gonna need time to heal."

"Then why is he at Grady? He had to be pretty banged up to warrant a trip out there."

"Well, when the paramedics arrived we couldn't get him to wake up. He was breathing but we couldn't get him to regain consciousness, so they thought Grady was the best option." She nodded but knew he couldn't see it.

"Has he woken up yet?" She barreled onto the highway, pushing the accelerator damn near to the floor in her haste to get to the hospital.

"Yes, briefly, but he passed back out when they started dealing with his hand. Beth, he's gonna make it, calm down. I just want you to get here in one piece."

"Alright, Rick. I'm on my way. I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Alright, Beth. See you soon."

"Ok. Oh and Rick…thank you." She clicked her phone off and tossed it down on the seat next to her. She would be at the hospital in a few minutes and Daryl was going to be alright. She needed to breathe and calm down. She was no good to either of them wound up and ready to flip.

She pulled up to the hospital, parking quickly in a spot she wasn't sure was meant for visitors but at this point she didn't really care. She dashed into the lobby of the hospital, walking up to the front desk to try to figure out what floor Daryl had been taken to, and instead of a helpful nurse, Beth was greeted by a stern looking woman in uniform. "Miss, you need to calm down." Beth drew back and stared at the woman like she'd lost her damn mind.

"I am calm." Beth said, barely containing the anger in her voice. "I need to find my…boyfriend." She faltered. That word seemed so insignificant to describe what he was to her, but that was all she had. "Dixon. H-his name is Daryl Dixon. He was brought in with a head wound and injuries to his arm." The officer just stared at her blankly.

"You're going to have to take a seat."

"What?" Beth's eyes grew a bit wider.

"You need to take a seat and I'll find someone to help you and establish that you have the necessary clearance to be up there." Beth felt like she'd just been slapped. Necessary clearance? What the hell did that mean? Was she not going to be allowed up because she wasn't his wife or something? Her eyes darted to a tall doctor that was walking by the opened hallway leading towards the elevators.

"Excuse me." She called. She heard the officer sternly ordering her to have a seat, but she was not going to be put off. The doctor stopped and looked up from the charts he was reading. He adjusted his glasses, fingers lightly grazing his beard before straightening his white jacket, as Beth walked up to him, bright smile on her face. "I'm looking for someone." She stopped in front of him and noticed that the officer caught up and tried to direct her back to the waiting room.

"Miss, I told you…"

"It's alright Officer Lerner. I'll handle it."

"She needs to wait in the waiting room, Dr. Edwards. I'm just doing my job." The tension between the two was thick and Beth couldn't help but watch them uncomfortably.

"Dawn. Relax. She's supposed to be here. I was actually on my way down to let the staff down here know to keep and eye out for family members of the transfer from this morning." Dawn narrowed her eyes but gave a jerky nod before looking at Beth.

"Next time, you really should just have a seat. There are rules here at this hospital." With that she turned and walked back to her post in the waiting room. Beth nodded but turned back to Dr. Edwards without responding to the snide comment.

"Don't worry about her. She is the new security guard on staff and she takes her job really seriously." He rolled his eyes. "So who exactly are you looking for Miss…"

"Beth, Beth Greene." She smiled up at him. "I'm looking for Daryl Dixon. He came in with some knocks to the head and an injured arm."

"Oh right…" Edwards nodded. "He's up on the fourth floor. Come on, I'll take you up." She smiled up at him.

"Thank you." He led her to a set of elevators and punched in the fourth floor.

"No problem. Is he, what, your friend? Boyfriend?"

"Yeah, he's my boyfriend. Sounds a bit silly, but that's what you'd call him." She shifted a bit uncomfortably until she saw him nod.

"I have heard some pretty strange things in this career. Being your boyfriend is hardly the weirdest thing I could imagine." He smiled kindly at her and the elevator dinged. He motioned for her to move forward and he followed her. "Down to the right. He should be in room 402. I'll be right in. I think he's awake again." She nodded and called over a quick 'thank you' before quickly walking down the hallway into the room.

As soon as she laid eyes on him she felt her eyes well up with tears in relief. His blue eyes met hers quickly and he offered her a pained smile. "Daryl…" She breathed before she moved to the side of the bed. She vaguely registered Rick sitting in the chair on the other side of the bed, but right now she was more concerned about Daryl.

"M alright. Just banged up." He moved his right arm which was casted and wrapped from fingertips to elbow. She looked at his arm and then up at his face, which was sporting a nice knot on his upper forehead and a split in the skin at his hairline. She reached up to lightly move his hair to see the split better but a soft hiss from Daryl stopped her. "Imma be alright." Daryl gruffed again as he watched Beth. She gave him a nod.

"He's gonna be off work for a while." Rick drawled from the other chair, and her eyes finally flicked to him and she nodded. "Paid leave, disability, which ever kicks in first." Rick shrugged.

"Thank you." Beth said quickly. "He needs the time to recoup." She heard Daryl grumble.

"Good luck keepin' him down long enough to get better. He's been griping since he woke up again." Beth let out a giggle.

"I don't doubt it." Beth heard someone enter the room and turned to look at the same doctor that had escorted her up here.

"Good morning lady and gentlemen." He smiled at everyone as he closed the folder and charts in his hands. "I have good news, and some bad news. Which would you like first?"

"Really? That's your opening line?" Daryl groused from the bed.

"Fair point, good news is you're going to be just fine. Bad news is, we're going to hold on to you for the night and you'll have that cast for the next six weeks."

"Six weeks?"

"You have a hairline fracture just above your wrist from where the board landed. Best case it'll take four weeks to mend, most likely six weeks. We can schedule an appointment for x-rays in about a month and we'll go from there. Sound good?"

"Sounds perfect." Beth said quickly, knowing Daryl would fight and argue until he was blue in the face. Daryl scowled at her.

"Like hell." He grumbled but made no move to climb from the bed.

"Don't worry. I'll stay right here with you." Beth said and took his hand, squeezing lightly.

Beth walked with Daryl out of the hospital, his uninjured arm around her shoulders for "extra support." "There ain't nothin' wrong with my legs, Beth. I can walk just fine."

"There ain't nothing wrong with your legs, but you did take a nice hit to the head. I'm taking no chances."

"But the doctor cleared me." He groaned out. "Are you going to treat me like a damn child until this cast comes off?"

"I am not treating you like a child." She refuted. He just quirked an eyebrow at her. With a roll of her eyes she pulled his arm from over her shoulders. "Fine. I'm parked right over here." She led him to the car, holding his good hand "just in case."

The drive back was long and Beth grit her teeth as Daryl let out another grunt while fiddling with his cast. "Stop picking at it. You're gonna pick it apart and then we'll have to come back early to get it redone. I swear to God, I'll make him use pink if you take this one off." She threatened.

"It's jus' sa damn itchy." He groused as he tried to slide his finger inside the cast to itch a spot on his forearm. She huffed a sigh and reached into her center console and produced an unsharpened pencil.

"Here. Slide this down the top and use it." The speed with which he snatch the pencil from her was enough to make her giggle. She watched out of the corner of her eye as he slid the pencil down and started sliding it around to scratch different areas.

"Oh yeah. That's amazing." He looked at her. "Where did you learn that trick?"

"Maggie broke her leg when she was thrown from her horse. Was in a cast for what seemed like forever. I was little but I remember her snagging some of my unsharpened pencils. She said the sharpened ones didn't scratch right." She smiled.

"You are amazing." He continued to wiggle the pencil back and forth as they drove. Beth just smiled and shook her head. Of all the things, introducing him to the pencil for cast itch was what made her amazing…well at least it was something.


	31. Chapter 31

Daryl cracked his eyes open and moved to swipe at his sleep blurred vision. The sight of his cast made him freeze and then sigh. It'd been near a week since he'd had his accident and it had been the hardest week of his life. Nothing serious had happened, but he could feel some rumblings brewing inside him that didn't make for a harmonious household.

It was nothing Beth did (or at least not the fact that Beth was doing it) it was just feeling so damn helpless. Beth had had to cut his damn food the first day they'd gotten home and he'd wanted to throw the plate across the room, just to hear something shatter. He hadn't done it of course, but having to learn how to hold utensils again had had him fit to be tied. He'd slammed down the fork so hard on the table Beth had jumped in her seat and just stared at him. He'd mumbled an apology before grabbing a piece of food and feeding himself with his fingers.

Beth had looked like she'd wanted to protest and feed him herself, but one look from him had her quietly eating her dinner. It wasn't that Beth was afraid of him, but she knew better that to pique his ire when he was already frustrated as hell. It was just going to cause him to start yelling and puffing his chest out and Beth knew she really didn't want to deal with it. (He rarely did it, but the couple times it happened Beth had actively fought the urge to roll her eyes.)

Daryl turned his head and saw Beth sleeping peacefully on the pillow next to him. He appreciated everything she was doing for him, and knew (deep down) that he needed her help, but it still rubbed him the wrong way. He pushed himself up to sit on the side of the bed. He needed to shower but even that was going to be a hell of a pursuit.

He pushed himself up from the bed and made his way to the bathroom. He wanted to at least give wrapping his cast a shot on his own before Beth woke up and insisted on doing it for him. Adjusting the water temperature to the correct setting, he crouched in front of the sink to retrieve the old plastic grocery bags they liked to keep there to line the bathroom trash bin. He pulled one out and stared at it briefly. It was all rolled up and scrunched together. There was no getting this bag opened quietly. He tossed it gently into the sink before closing the door with a quiet 'snick.' He picked the bag up one more time and flung it around, grinning to himself when he saw the top of the bag catching on the air and opening. He placed the bag over his hand and wrist, belatedly realizing he wouldn't have access to his fingers this way. He paused for a moment before punching his fingers through the bottom of the bag. He tied the handles together and pushed the end of the bag into the top of his cast. It wasn't tight, but dammit, it was good enough. At least now he knew he didn't need any help to get a damn shower. Feeling a bit mollified about the whole situation he climbed in the shower and sighed as the hot water hit his skin.

Beth clenched her hand into a fist and took a deep breath to calm herself down. Having Daryl home all day, every day, had sounded like the best news of her life. Three weeks later and she was about to smash something. She knew from the get go that he was going to be a difficult patient, but she didn't realize how difficult he'd make it. The man griped about everything!

Every meal she had to cut his food and he'd complain about not being a baby or a 'damn kid.' They'd taken to eating a lot of soups and stews over the course of the past couple weeks strictly because of the fact that Daryl had mastered a spoon with his left hand (he'd refused to sip his soup from a cup with a straw.) But the eating wasn't the only issue they had.

His right had was his dominant hand, so having it done up in a cast meant he struggled with getting dressed, undressed, getting in the shower, and just about everything that required his right hand. The first time Beth had tried to help him get ready for a shower had seen him hissing and cussing like he was fit to be tied. She'd quickly backed out of the bathroom and let him go about it himself. It seemed like he was able to manage that chore on his own (thank goodness) except now his cast was starting to let off the funkiest odor she'd ever smelled, and it the more time that passed, the worse it got. She found she had a hard time having the thing near her. She had a sneaking suspicion that water was getting inside it during his showers causing mold inside the cloth layers near his skin.

She was not looking forward to having the conversation about getting his arm recast. "Daryl…" She started cautiously, watching him sitting on the couch flipping through the channels with his customary frown present on his face. She was met with a grunt. "Honey…" He turned to look at her and she had a sinking feeling in her gut. "I think we need to go back to Grady. Your cast is starting to smell." He glared at her and turned back to the television.

"Casts smell Beth." She took a deep breath and decided to try again.

"I know, but I think maybe we should still have it looked at. They might even be able to take it off." She offered. She knew there was a snowball's chance in hell of them taking it off, but just getting him to the hospital would be half the battle. Dr. Edwards might agree that they could recast or maybe just clean the existing cast.

"It ain't even the halfway point yet." He said his voice clipped and grumpy.

"Well, technically they said four to six weeks…and we're three weeks in already." She reasoned.

"Dammit Beth. It ain't time yet. Can you just knock it off?" Daryl hardly raised his voice, except for when she got him really riled up. Apparently, she'd just gotten him really riled up.

"I'm sorry for being optimistic." She snapped. "You're drivin' me nuts with always being in a bad mood, gettin' snippy with me, and your cast smells." She crossed her arms in front of her. "I get that you're uncomfortable and ain't used to someone havin' to help you with simple things in life, but dammit Daryl, you ain't gotta be so angry all the time."

"I'm not…"

"You tell me every time I cut up your food that you ain't a damn baby. You wont let me help you wrap your cast for showers, and I think you're starting to mold. You get yourself tangled in your damn clothes before you let me help you dress. And you wont leave the damn apartment to get some fresh air. So, yes sir, you are acting angry and stubborn and frankly I can't do another three weeks of you fightin' me tooth'n nail on everything." He sat there silently, stewing. "I'm takin' Bandit to my dad's. He needs his booster shots anyway." She scooped up the raccoon, snatched her purse off the counter and darted out the door before Daryl could stop her. It was a coward's move, but honestly she just needed some breathing time. She'd feel bad about what she said when she got home and she'd apologize like crazy then, but right now, she needed some time just for her.

Daryl swung the door wide, completely baffled as to who would be pounding on his door. Beth had a key, and no one else had visited after the first couple of days. He froze and then resisted the urge to groan when he found himself staring at the ugly mug of Merle. "Well, hello there Little Brother." Merle sneered. "Is Bethy home? I could use a little bit o' her sunshine." Merle pushed past Daryl into the apartment. He made it into the living room before he turned around to stare at Daryl.

"She ain't here." He mumbled. Daryl looked around before looking back at Merle.

"You chased her away with your shit mood huh?"

"You don't know shit Merle."

"Bullshit." Merle snapped back. "You and I both know that girl is like a mama hen. She wouldn't push off unless you did somethin'. How'd you fuck up, this time?"

"Just bein' me. You know…"

"A Dixon." Daryl shrugged. "Well, come on baby brother. We're goin' out…and you can't go out like that." Daryl looked down at himself. He was in just lounge clothes. Sweats.

"Man, I ain't goin' out." It would take him forever and a day to get undressed and redressed, and there was no way in hell he was asking Merle for help.

"Bullshit." Merle said. "What, does Babygirl help you get dressed?" When Daryl refused to look him in the eye Merle let out a snicker. "She does! Jesus, no wonder she took off."

"Shut up, Merle. You don't know shit." Merle just looked at him. "I'll go get changed." Daryl made his way to his bedroom, intent on struggling through the chore of getting dressed. He was surprised to find Merle following closely. When Merle just stood in the middle of the bedroom, like an expectant child, Daryl resisted the urge to growl. "What do you want, Merle?"

"You said Babygirl helps you get dressed, well seein' as how she ain't here, I guess I'mma have to do the damn job myself." Daryl just stared at him. "Well, c'mon boy. Let's get the job done."

Beth looked down at little Bandit as he tried to scale the curtains at her dad's house. With a sigh she scooped him up. "That's a mighty fine sigh for such a beautiful day. What's eatin' you Sunshine?"

"Nothin' daddy. Just..." She paused, not really sure what to say.

"That boy out of his sling yet?" Hershel asked with a smile in his voice.

"It's a cast, not a sling. And he's about halfway through." She grumbled.

"Ah, so that's what's got you high tailing it out here."

"What do you mean? I come out here once a week at least." She asked sounding affronted.

"Yeah, but usually you ain't looking like a cloud just ruined your picnic." Beth felt her cheeks flush. "So, what happened now?"

"I said some things to him today. Some things that I probably shouldn't have said, but daddy he's been so stubborn." She looked at Hershel Greene. "How did you and Mama do it? Mama stayed at home and you were always with her. How did you two keep from drivin' each other up a wall?" Hershel let out a laugh.

"We did our fair share of wall climbing early on. You gotta learn to balance. Sunshine, he is a grown man, who isn't used to havin' to rely on anybody for anything. How do you think it feels to have to have someone help him dress, feed him, and do practically everything for him?" He watched her and could tell she'd already thought about it. "Now picture, not having anyone to take care of you and having to do it all on your own from the time you were a teenager." She let out another sigh.

"I know, Daddy. I know." She rubbed at her forehead gently. She watched Bandit for a moment. "I guess I should head home and apologize, huh?" She watched as Hershel just looked at her before giving her a small nod.

"Just remember baby, balance. Everyone needs some down time, don't be afraid to ask for some of it yourself." She gave him a nod before she stretched up and placed a kiss to his cheek.

"Love you daddy."

"Love you too, babygirl."

"Daryl?" Beth called as she opened the door to their apartment. Bandit jumped down from her arms and scampered off into the kitchen in search of his food bowl.

"In here darlin'." Beth perked up at the sound of Merle's voice from the living room. She made her way inside and smiled when she saw the two brothers camped out in the living room. "Well, looky there. There's that beautiful face I've been missin'." She smiled as Merle jumped up and kissed her on the cheek.

"Hello, Merle." She looked at Daryl and noticed he was changed. "You changed clothes." It was more of a statement rather than a question.

"Yeah." Daryl mumbled. "That was an event I never want to have to go through again." He quirked a small smile up at her.

"And on that que, I better be getting' home." Merle rumbled, sporting a light pink sheen to his cheeks. Beth chose not to comment on it.

"Aww, but Merle. I've hardly gotten to see you."

"I know that sweet cheeks, but I just spent the better part of the morning spoon-feeding my mangy brother and it's made me seriously question my manliness." She let out a snicker. "I have an appointment to get to anyway. Somethin' 'bout my cholesterol bein' too high…" He waved away her concern. "I'm gonna be fine, but I gotta make my appointment." She gave a nod and he placed a kiss to her forehead. "You take care of him." She nodded and then he turned to Daryl, "And you, stop bein' an ass." Daryl let out a snort as Merle made his exit. He looked up at Beth.

"'M sorry."

"I am too." She sat down next to him. "I shouldn't have blown up at you."

"And I shouldn't have been so damn stubborn." She gave him a nod.

"Wanna watch some tv?"

"Nah. You were right. We ain't been out for a while. Let's go out for a change." She perked up.

"Really?" He gave her a nod.

"Yeah. It's not fair to keep you holed up in here just 'cause I'm injured. Let's go get some lunch." He stroked her cheek. "Besides…I gotta make the rest of the town jealous that you're still with this angry redneck. People are gonna start talkin' if I don't show up with you somewhere." She let out a giggle.

"We can't have that, now can we?" She helped him to stand up and slung her arm around him.

"No, we most definitely can not."


	32. Chapter 32

Daryl looked over at Bandit who was currently trying to scratch his way up the side of the couch to be in Daryl's lap. Beth had an appointment with her sister to go look at wedding dresses, and Daryl was going to meet Merle and Abraham for a drink. Beth had insisted he have some guy time since he'd been cooped up in the house since he got his cast put on. He'd only had the thing on for five weeks, but apparently that was long enough to make her worried that he wasn't going to have friends anymore. So, he'd called both of them and set up a time to meet at the bar they all liked. He smiled as Beth walked into the room, purse tucked up over her shoulder, and hair tied back in a low ponytail.

"Alright. So Maggie is going to pick me up and take me to the dress shops she wants to look at. When we're all done, I'll call you to let you know and maybe we can grab some food before we go to your appointment? Here," She handed him her set of keys, "take my car that way you don't have to worry about shifting and steering with your hand." She smiled as he clasped her keys in his hand. "You'll be alright to drive right? Should I have Merle come get you?"

"I ain't helpless, Beth." Daryl muttered.

"Alright. I just wanted to make sure." She gave him a quick shrug. A honk sounded from outside and Beth glanced towards the window. "Well, she's here." She leaned down and placed a kiss to his cheek. "I'll see you in a few hours alright?"

"Alright."

"Love you." She called over her shoulder as she made her way out the front door, pausing and smiling secretly to herself as she heard Daryl call after her a quick 'Love you too.' He wasn't one to overtly display affection (even after all this time), but every time he said it, or did something to show her he cared it made her heart flutter. She all but floated down the stairs to the street, where Maggie was double parked and waiting impatiently in her pick-up truck. "Good mornin' Maggie!" Beth chimed as she climbed into the truck.

"Mornin' you ready to help me pick out a dress?"

"Of course!" She grinned at her smile. "Are you ready to find the dress you're going to get married in?" Maggie smiled and pulled out into the street towards the only dress shop in town (they were lucky they'd even gotten this one two years ago.) Maggie parked under the big and smiled over at Beth.

"Come on, let's get inside."

Daryl entered the dimly lit bar and spotted Merle and Abe already sitting at a table off to the side. He knew both men had put their differences aside and moved past their initial dislikes and arguments, but it was still weird to see them sitting together laughing as they talked. It was weird to see them inhabiting the same room without trying to kill each other if he really thought about everything. He moved across the room and sat down at the empty chair. "Well, howdy little brother. Glad you could pull yourself away from our little ray of sunshine."

"Yeah, it's good to know she hasn't completely gotten you whipped yet." Daryl signaled for a beer and let out a sigh. So the teasing was already beginning. The conversation he wanted to have with them was going to be rough.

"Nah, not completely whipped," Merle started, "but pretty damn close."

"You're one to talk. Should I share the picture of you in Beth's frilly apron?" Daryl shot back. Merle just shrugged with a smirk on his face.

"You're just jealous I make it look manly." He took a swig of his beer. Abe let out a little snort but shook his head when Merle pinned him with questioning glare.

"So how long until you get that off your arm?" Abe questioned as he motioned towards Daryl's cast.

"Another week most likely, and then it'll be wrapped for another week or two." Both men nodded and they all fell into a comfortable silence. "So," Daryl shifted, unsure about how to broach the subject he wanted to talk about with these two. It made him anxious and uncomfortable but he needed some feedback on the thoughts bouncing around his head. "There was somethin' I wanted to talk to you about. Don't know quite how to start though."

"Oh god, she's knocked up, ain't she?" Merle spat quickly, a horrified look crossing his features.

Daryl just stared at him in abject horror.

"Hell no, Merle. And even if she was it isn't like we'd be askin' you to take care of the baby."

"I know, but Daryl...what kind of dad are you gonna be? You know us Dixon men don't know shit about bein' a dad. Ain't like we had good rolemodels." Daryl fidgeted with the label on his beer.

"I know." His voice was gruff and almost defeated. He hated talking to Merle. He was always reminded what shit Dixon men were.

"Nah, it ain't about babies. Rosita woulda said something if it had been that." Abe commented. "Sides, it isn't like you'd be doin' it alone." Abe shot Merle a quick thoughtful look that Daryl didn't see. "You can't possibly fuck up with everyone else around to help." He added, trying to lighten the mood (he failed miserably).

"Nah, kids ain't what I wanted to talk about." The three were silent for a moment. "Been thinkin' 'bout askin' Beth t'marry me." He mumbled while staring firmly at his beer. He couldn't look at Merle and see the look he knew was going to be there. The look that said he was making the biggest mistake of his life. The look that said he was going to ruin her and kill that sunshine she kept inside her. He couldn't see the look that told him Merle thought he was an idiot and what the hell was he thinking? He needed to be solid in his feelings right now, and Merle had a way of getting into his head and making even his best laid plans crumble to rubble at his feet.

"You think that's a good idea baby brother?" Merle's voice was slow and calculated. "Ain't like you know how to be a husband, and you know what comes after you tie the knot. She's gonna want babies, and that's just a whole nother can of worms." Daryl couldn't speak. He'd had this whole conversation with himself many times since Maggie had announced her engagement. Everytime he saw Beth looking at wedding things, planning for Maggie, he couldn't stop the flutter at the thought that she'd light up twice as bright when she was planning her own wedding. She'd never said anything signaling that she wanted to get married, and Daryl knew she never would. Things were good with him and Beth, but he found (more often than not) that he was starting to want more.

"I know I don't know shit about bein' a husband," Daryl started, "but I figure I've made it this far, puttin' a ring on it is something I wanna do. I can learn how to be a husband." Daryl said honestly. "I wanna learn." His eye met Merle's and then Abe's. "She's the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I wanna make sure it stays that way." Both Abe and Merle watched him closely for a moment. Abe looked down at his beer before lightly clearing his throat.

"Y'know what I think?" He rumbled. "I think that is something to drink to." He grinned up at Daryl. Merle took a deep breath and then let out a low whistle.

"Well, hell, if your little brother gettin' hitched ain't somethin' to drink to, I don't know what is." He held up his beer. "To gettin' hitched." Daryl smiled a crooked smile before picking up his beer bottle and clinking it against first Merle's bottle and then Abe's. "Ain't no learning manual to bein' a husband, but if any of us Dixon's can do it, it would be you." The three of them shared a drink.

"Thanks Merle, Abe. This has been rollin' around my head for a while, and, I dunno, I just wanted to talk it out. Y'know?" His two compatriots nodded as they swigged their beers.

"So where is the lucky lady, anyhow?" Abe asked.

"With her sister, tryin' on dresses." Daryl paused. "She ain't tryin' them on, her sister is. It's been a bit nuts since Glenn popped the question." Abe nodded again. "Speakin' of which, I'm gonna have to pick her up in a few hours. She wants to go with me to my doctor's visit today. They're gonna check my wrist and see if I can get this damn thing removed yet." Daryl motioned to his cast.

"Bout damn time." Abe scoffed playfully. "Rick's been losin' his damn mind with you gone. Our projects are goin' slow because you ain't there to bust ass and make the rest of us look good." Merle let out a snicker.

"Don't worry. I'll do my best to make sure y'all get raises. Someone's gotta do all the damn work while you check out the pretty girls walkin' 'round." The three shared a laugh before taking another swig of their beer.

Beth sighed and cooed as Maggie turned on the pedestal in the beautiful white gown. "Maggie, I think this is the one." She said softly, her fingers tracing a delicate fold in the long flowy fabric. Her eyes caught Maggie's in the mirror and she noticed they were filled with tears. Maggie nodded.

"I think you're right." She ran her hands down the bodice of the gown to rest on her hips. They both took a minute to admire the sweetheart neckline and the soft swirls of the folded fabric. It was so Maggie. A little bit edgy (Beth would have gone for a more soft, and lacy gown) with it's pop of color up the back, and very traditional, with its yards of ivory satin. Maggie looked every inch the princess Beth knew she wanted to be on her big day. "Beth, I'm so in love, I don't wanna take it off." Maggie gushed.

"You really do look wonderful Maggie. Mama would have been all choked up." Beth smiled softly. "You admire yourself in your gown, I'll take these back and let the lady know we found one." Beth moved to the dresses hanging up in their dressing room. Her fingers grazed a dress she'd been eyeing since they walked into the shop. It was a beautiful ivory lace trumpet style dress. It had a sweetheart neckline and she knew it would hug her curves from bust to legs. She smiled at the thought. "You should try it on." Beth jerked her hand away as if she'd been caught in the cookie jar.

"What?" She looked at Maggie who was standing next to her.

"You've been eyein' that dress all afternoon. I know you two ain't even thought about gettin' married, but," Maggie paused with a mischievous grin. "What's the harm in tryin' it on?" Beth grinned at her sister.

"Oh, but I couldn't. Today is all about you."

"And I found my dress, now, let's play a little dress up." It took Beth all of two seconds to give in and nod fervently. Maggie pulled the dressing room door closed and helped Beth strip and don the dress. The two marched out of the dressing room and each to their own pedestal. Beth marveled at herself in the mirror. She was right. This was the dress she'd pick if she ever got married. She didn't think that would ever happen, but it was fun to imagine. She heard the attendant coo and sigh.

"Oh ain't she just as pretty as a magnolia in May?" Beth heard Maggie agree, and then was shocked to hear a deep, familiar, rumble of agreement from behind her. She turned quickly and spotted Daryl, standing behind her, arms crossed as he leaned against the counter, just watching her. She blushed and turned back to the mirror.

"Sorry, Daryl. Maggie wanted to play a little dress up...and I just couldn't say no." She grinned at him before quickly moving towards the dressing room. "Give me two minutes and I'll be right out so we can go." She vaguely registered that Maggie was talking to the attendant about the dress she was wearing and how she wanted to purchase one for her big day. Beth couldn't help but smile softly as she hung her beautiful dress up. She popped out of the dressing room (fully clothed, of course) and all but bounced over to Maggie. Sh gave her a quick hug. "I gotta head out. Daryl's got a doctor's appointment for his cast, and I didn't want to miss it."

"Don't worry. Thank you for coming." She hugged her back. "And thank you for helping me find my dress." She smiled down at Beth, "And for letting me play dress up with you." She winked. Beth felt herself blush.

"Anytime." She turned to Daryl and saw him staring at her with a look she couldn't quite read. "Ready to go?" He gave her a silent nod and jingled the keys from the fingers of his good hand. "Alright. Let's get to it."

Daryl smiled at her gently. She'd looked absolutely amazing in that dress when he'd walked up. He hadn't been expecting to see her all dressed in white, but now that he had, he couldn't stop imagining her walking down the aisle in the gown. If he hadn't wanted to propose before, that would have been the tipping point. She just looked so damn beautiful. It really would be a waste if she never got to wear that dress again. He smiled to himself as he followed her out. They'd never really talked about it, but something in him told him, she might just say yes if he asked. And that made him want to ask just that much more.


	33. Chapter 33

Daryl wanted to rip his cast off and wipe the sweaty palm concealed underneath. To say he was nervous would have been the biggest understatement of the century. He watched as the crowd of people, all the friends and family of the Greene's, mulled around the open area that suddenly felt too small for him. He knew there would be a lot of people here. It was their traditional fourth of July party after all. But for some reason he couldn't help but feel agitated and annoyed that everyone had decided to show up this year. His free hand gripped the cold glass of the root beer bottle as his eyes scanned for the face he wanted to see the most.

Hershel Greene stood surrounded by a bunch of guests and blissfully ignorant of Daryl's plight, and Daryl wanted to grumble to himself. He hadn't seen the elder Greene alone all afternoon, and Daryl was starting to suspect it was like someone knew exactly what he wanted to talk about and was making it damn near impossible. "You know, you stare hard enough, he might burst into flames." Daryl's eyes whipped over to stare at Rick as he walked towards him.

"That ain't what I want." Daryl grumbled.

"Didn't think it was, but that sour look on your face could fool most people." Daryl cracked a small smirk at the teasing. He watched as Rick took a sip of his soda. "You know you can just walk over and talk to him right? The man ain't gonna bite your head off, even if you are livin' with his youngest daughter." Daryl cast him a worried look.

"You think he really has a problem with that?"

"Nah," Rick let out a short burst of laughter. "Figured you would already know that by now. It's been, what, almost a year now?" Daryl nodded in response. "If he was gonna be upset about it, I figure he'd have said somethin' by now." Daryl gave another nod and a small shrug. "So, what has you all bent out of shape and glarin' daggers at the father of the girl you love?"

"M not glarin' daggers." He mumbled.

"Mhm." Rick pinned him with a disbelieving look. "Well, I'm gonna let you sulk over here in the shade. Just remember, he ain't gonna bite your head off so long as you're treatin' Bethy right." Daryl felt his ears turn hot and took a quick sip of his root beer before watching Rick walk away towards his family. Daryl's eyes traveled back over to the group where Hershel was and found him making his way over.

"Afternoon, Daryl." Hershel greeted, a friendly smile on his lips. "What has you hidin' over here in the shade?"

"'M not hidin'." He rumbled and tried valiantly not to wince at the nervousness in his voice. Hershel just stared at him for a moment.

"You seen Bethy?" Hershel's eyes scanned the group of people. "I haven't seen her since you two arrived."

"No." Daryl grunted, wanting desperately to just spill the words rolling around his head but every time he tried they seemed to get lodged in his throat. When Hershel looked back at him quickly, worriedly, Daryl swallowed quickly. "I think she's inside helpin' with things." Hershel gave him a quick nod.

"Son," Daryl almost jerked when Hershel's hand landed on his shoulder. "I gotta ask your opinion about somethin' in the barn." Daryl felt relief flood him. "I got a leak from the roof, but can't find where it could be comin' from. Mind if I steal you for a minute to help me take a look? Ain't gotta fix it now, but knowin' where it is would be mighty helpful." Daryl felt his head bob up and down as he shoved thoughts of marriage to the back of his mind. He followed Hershel down across the field towards the old barn. He still needed to help replace the damn roof on this thing, but so far had managed to make it through the wet season with just general patches. Once he got his cast of, in another couple weeks, he'd buy the materials and plan a weekend to come up and do it. The big door creaked as Hershel opened it.

Daryl entered the barn and was hit with the smell of hay, and animals, and farm equipment (which was an odd balance of metal, oil, and fresh clipped vegetation). He scuffed his shoe against the stray straw that littered the floor and turned towards Hershel as he shut the door behind them. Daryl paused in confusion for a moment as Hershel walked towards him, stopping to stand in front of him and arms crossed in front of him. "Now, son, what did you want to talk to me about?"

Beth pushed the old screen door open with her hip as she walked backwards out the front door, arms loaded up with snacks and more food that needed to be grilled. She set the snacks down on various tables before taking the platter of burgers, hotdogs and other various meats towards the grill. She smiled up at Otis when she set the plate down. "Where's daddy?" She looked around quickly. Usually he was the one manning the grill, and it usually took something serious to get him to shirk his duties.

"I overheard 'im say somethin' 'bout a leak in the barn to Daryl. They might be down there lookin' at the roof." Beth frowned and cast her gaze towards the barn. Daddy hadn't said anything about a leak, nor wanting Daryl to look at anything, and they hadn't had rain in a good long while. Not even a quick summer shower since at least the beginning of May. That would have been something he would have mentioned when he'd been helping her prepare the snacks not more than half an hour ago.

Maybe Otis had just misheard? She gave a noncommittal sound before turning and searching the crowd for either her daddy or Daryl. Those two were the only faces she didn't see in the crowd. She did spy Rick, talking to a few friends next to one of the tables. Striding over to him determinedly, she gently touched his shoulder, "Rick, you seen Daddy or Daryl?" He turned and looked down at her, giving her an affectionate smile.

"Not for a good few minutes. Daryl was off sulkin' under a tree last time I saw him."

"Sulking? Why would he be sulking?"

"Probably just missed you. You know how he is with crowds." Beth studied Rick's face before sighing and giving him a nod. Truly, Daryl had been doing so well with everyone here, she didn't even think he'd have a hard time with the crowd. Deep down, her gut told her the crowd had nothing to do with Daryl's sulking. There was more going on than she could see.

"So, you haven't seen them at all?" She queried again. Rick gave her a small shake of his head before she let out a sigh. "Alright. Thanks."

"Beth, I saw your dad leadin' Daryl down to the barn. No idea why, but they're definitely down there." Carl called from his perch at the tables not far away. She cast a smile and gave him a quick wave.

"Thank you, Carl! You're a lifesaver." He gave her a small shrug as his cheeks tinted a light pink, as if to say he was just happy to help. She cast Rick a quick smile and made her way down towards the barn. Her mind was spinning a mile a minute. It didn't make sense for them to both be down at the barn, unless there really was a leak that Daddy hadn't mentioned? It was strange. She shrugged to herself as she crossed the field and made her way down the gentle hill towards the barn.

As she neared the old building she could hear people talking and instantly recognized the timbre of both voices. They were most definitely down in the barn. She reached out towards the big door but watched as it swung open and her daddy pushed his way outside. She could see Daryl still standing inside looking pensive but the minute her daddy clapped eyes on her a big smile blossomed over his face. "Hello, Bethy. You lookin' for Daryl?" She nodded.

"Well, I was lookin' for both of you. Everything alright?" She asked as she watched Daryl make his way slowly out of the barn.

"Yes sweetheart. Why wouldn't everything be alright?" Hershel feigned concern.

"Well, you two don't normally run off and hide in the barn during the big barbeque." She said calmly.

"Oh, that? I just needed to show Daryl where I was havin' a leak. He promised to help me fix it up by the end of summer. Didn't ya, son?"

"Yeah. As soon as I get this cast off, I'll get right on it." She heard him mutter quickly. Hershel slung his arm around Beth's shoulders before gently directing her back towards the house.

"C'mon kids," He squeezed Beth's shoulder gently. "Let's get the barbecuing finished so we can eat." Beth let out a giggle.

"Sounds good." Daryl walked quietly as he watched Hershel and Beth interact. That had been the most nerve-wracking conversation he'd ever had but he was glad it had happened.

 _"Now, son, what did you want to talk to me about?" Daryl gulped and just stared, wide-eyed, at the elder Greene feeling like he was the kid caught with his hands in the cookie jar._

 _"What'cha mean?" He rumbled, impressing himself that he didn't sound near as nervous as he felt._

 _"I mean, I've felt eyes boring into the side of my head all afternoon and every time I look up you've been standin' there like a man about ready to die." Hershel pinned him with a stern look. "Is somethin' wrong with you and Beth?"_

 _"What? No." Daryl said quickly. "Ain't nothin' like that." Daryl looked around, unsure how to string two words together for a moment. "It's just…" He trailed off, trying desperately to figure out how to tell the man that he was helplessly, and hopelessly in love with his youngest daughter, and he wanted to do right by her. He was suddenly engulfed in a freezing, sinking feeling of fear and dread. He knew Hershel liked him well enough, but what if the man didn't like him enough to give his blessing to him marrying Beth? What if he told Daryl to take his ideas of marriage and shelve them because, honestly, who would want their daughter marrying a damn dirty Dixon?_

 _"Son...I ain't gonna push you, 'cause I know you ain't the talkin' type, but if it's got you this tied up inside, you gotta get it out." Hershel offered sagely._

 _"I wanna ask Beth to marry me." Daryl spit out quickly, rushing his words together. Hershel stared at him for a moment, deathly silent, and completely serious. Daryl wasn't sure whether to repeat himself or apologize and take it all back._

 _"You been thinkin' 'bout this long?" Hershel asked quietly._

 _"A while."_

 _"Why?" Daryl wanted to gape at the man. Why did he want to marry Beth? Honestly? Where did he start?_

 _"She's smart, and funny." Daryl started but faltered. Those were reasons he loved her, not why he wanted to marry her. "She…" He took a deep breath, trying desperately to put to words what he was feeling. "She's like a ray of sunshine. Warm and bright, and everything she touches, everything she's around just feels better. Is better." He gave a shrug, feeling like he was doing a shit job of expressing himself, like always. "I know I'm just a Dixon, and that name carries somethin' of an idea behind it, but she don't make me feel like 'just a Dixon.' She makes me better. She makes me wanna be better." He looked around before looking back to Hershel. "She's Beth, and that's something I wanna hold on to." He made eye contact with Hershel; achingly careful to watch his face for his reaction. The silence stretched out between the two of them making Daryl's stomach churn, before Hershel decided to speak._

 _"She's just like her mama." Hershel shoved his hands into his pockets. "When we first met I thought her mama was a ray of sunshine too. One that helped lift me up during my dark times too. She made me wanna be a better man all those years back." Hershel gave him a nod. "It's rare to find, but if anyone is, Beth is that. When you got somethin' good, you do what you can to make sure it don't slip through your fingers." Hershel smiled. "I'd be proud to see Beth marry you, on one condition." Daryl's eyes darted from the ground up to Hershel's eyes. "You gotta stop thinkin' you're bad 'cause you're a Dixon. Bein' a Dixon ain't all bad, and you know, Beth's gonna be one too." Daryl felt the weight of those words down to his soul. Beth would be a Dixon if he married her. She'd carry the Dixon name, and any children they had would be Dixons too. That couldn't be bad. And hell, Beth loved him even given the shit that had happened in his past, and despite the stories that went along with his last name. "Is that a deal?"_

 _Nah, being a Dixon wasn't half bad anymore. The corner of his mouth tilted up in the barest hint of a smile. "Yeah."_

 _"Then welcome to the family, son." Hershel clapped him on the shoulder, giving him a gentle shake as the smile on his face split from ear to ear. "Now, c'mon. People are gonna start to wonder where we've run off to, and I'm sure some people are waiting on their food. I left my post at the barbeque to get you sorted." Daryl gave him a grunt and watched as the man turned to open the door. He couldn't make himself move just yet. Daryl Dixon had Hershel Greene's blessing to marry his daughter. It all seemed too good to be true. His eyes darted out the opened door and he spotted his little ray of sunshine standing outside. She looked concerned, but the smile that overtook her face was enough to make his heart thump a little extra quick and a little extra hard in his chest. Yeah, Hershel Greene was right, about a lot of things, but most importantly. Beth was something special and Daryl was going to do everything he could to make sure she didn't slip through his fingers._


	34. Chapter 34

Daryl touched the little velvet box as he sat at the kitchen table. It was late, Beth was fast asleep, and Daryl couldn't keep his mind from screaming at him and keeping him awake. After he'd talked to Hershel Greene about proposing to Beth things had seemed to happen relatively fast. He'd visited a jewelry shop in Atlanta, because it wouldn't stay much of a secret if he was spotted buying a ring at the local jeweler's and it was a convenient excuse since he needed to get his cast off. Trying to convince Beth that he didn't need her to be there when they cut off his cast had been the hardest part about the whole thing, but luckily Hershel had jumped in with the idea that Beth could help him with some things on the farm.

When he'd gotten there he'd picked out a simple ring. He'd had no idea what he was looking for when he walked into the place, but he knew the instant he saw the ring that it was the one for Beth. It was simple white gold, but the band was actually comprised of delicate swirling metal that looked like vines that came up to hold the modest diamond in the simple setting. The jeweler had tried to change his mind numerous times (tried to upsell him into something bigger, and brighter) but Daryl had been firm. With a big sigh the lady had ordered the ring and promised she would call him the second it arrived in store.

Two weeks later, Daryl found himself staring at the little box with a sense of fluttering in his stomach that he finally identified as excitement. He was excited to ask Beth to marry him, he just needed to figure out how he was going to do it. That was how he found himself sitting at the kitchen table, staring at the little box, unable to sleep, at almost three in the morning on a work night. Merle had been no help. He'd simply grumbled uncomfortably about just asking the damn question and leaving it at that. Abe had been a little more help, suggesting he make it special, but his advice had been something Daryl already knew and was really very little help in coming up with an idea of how to do it. He wanted this to be special. Daryl never really pictured himself proposing to any woman, much less a woman like Beth. She deserved something memorable, and sweet, and special, and frankly Daryl had no idea. Daryl let out a sigh and stood up, tucking the little box away in the hiding place at the top of the cabinets (Beth couldn't reach anything up there and usually asked him to grab things if she needed them, which was rare), and made his way back to the bedroom. He stared at Beth as she slept, the moonlight barely filtering through the blinds over the windows, and wracked his brain to try to figure something out. He shook his head, letting out a small yawn and climbed into bed beside her. He'd figure something out, he just had to.

Daryl sat, sweating nervously as he watched Beth stare at the menu, biting her lip gently, as he gripped the little box in his pocket. He'd decided to do it the old-fashioned way and just take her to a nice dinner. It was one of her favorite restaurants. He just didn't know whether to wait until after eating, or do it now. Or maybe he should let the waitress know and she could whip something up? He'd seen a couple of those chick flicks Beth loved so much where the guy put the ring in a glass of champagne, but Daryl didn't much like that idea. Wouldn't the ring get sticky? Or smell like booze? What if she missed it and swallowed it (he'd had that thought when he'd seen someone stand a ring up in the frosting of a cake)? What if it fell out of the glass and rolled away? No, Daryl wasn't going to put it in a glass of champagne (not that this place even served champagne) and would just have to wing it from here on out.

The waitress appeared beside them suddenly, and it made Daryl jump a bit. Beth cast him a confused look before the waitress captured her attention.

"Y'all know what you'd like to order? Or should I just start with drinks?"

"I'm ready." Beth said softly before casting a quick glance over to Daryl. "Are you ready, Daryl." Daryl felt the blood drain from his face, and prayed to any god out there who might listen to him that Beth didn't notice.

"Yeah." He grunted as the waitress beamed at them and pulled out her notepad.

"What can I get you two?"

"Can I get the spaghetti marinara?" Beth said quickly, flashing a smile. The waitress nodded, wrote down the order and then flicked her eyes to Daryl.

"Same." He rumbled. When Beth cast him a curious look he shrugged, "What? Sounded good." Truth be told, Daryl wasn't really all that hungry. Daryl was so filled with nerves, the idea of eating wasn't really all that appealing, but he didn't want to say that to Beth. He didn't want her to worry or ask questions because just blurting out that he wanted to marry her wasn't all that romantic, and Beth deserved romantic. The waitress gave them both a nod before closing her notepad.

"Alright, so two spaghetti marinaras. Would you two like anything besides water to drink?" Daryl shook his head just as Beth did the same. "Alright. I'll go put your order in, and be right back with some bread."

"Thank you." Beth supplied as Daryl just sat there uncomfortably. As the waitress walked away Beth tilted her head to the side and narrowed her eyes at Daryl. "What's the matter?"

"Huh?" Daryl just stared at her, listening to his heart thump rapidly in overdrive. "Nothin's the matter. Why?"

"You've been all out of sorts since we left the apartment today." She started. "And you usually like to get that meatball thing when we come here." She continued as she studied him. "And you look like you ate somethin' that made your stomach turn" Daryl tried not to groan as the blood rushed past his ears making it almost impossible to hear her. "Are you not feeling well?" She asked quickly, concern flashing over her face. He almost sagged with relief.

"I'm a'right." He rumbled before swiping his hand across his forehead. "Guess I'm just a little tired." He was a miserable liar and prayed she wouldn't read into it.

"Are you sure?" When he just nodded she offered him a soft smile and sat back in her chair. "Alright." She looked around before her eyes settled back on him. "Well, school starts back up in a few weeks. I'm kind of nervous. These classes are supposed to be harder than my last ones."

"You ain't got a reason to worry. You are gonna do great." Daryl mumbled, feeling his words get stuck in his throat. It wasn't that he had a hard time building her up, or giving her a compliment (was it really a compliment if it was simply stating the truth?) but the thought of what to come was making him choke on his words. He wanted to say something special and eloquent, something that would make her blush and say 'aww' and make her heart thump faster like she always made his do just by being around. But Daryl knew he wasn't a man of many words, and was just hoping not to mess it up too badly.

"Thank you, Daryl." Her cheeks tinted a little pink. "You really think so?" He gave her a nod as he started to fidget and pick at his fingers. He watched as she looked down and smiled. "You always believe in me. It makes me feel like I can do anything."

Daryl opened his mouth to speak, but snapped his mouth shut as their plates were set down in front of them. He resisted the urge to glare at the waitress, and he knew it wasn't her fault that she'd interrupted. She was just doing her job. Daryl picked up his fork and scooped a big mouthful of noodles into his mouth, chewing to keep himself from blurting out what was dancing around in his mind.

Daryl wanted to grumble as he laid in bed, Beth curled up against his side. He'd been all set to ask her after they'd finished their food, but Abe and Rosita had popped up, and he couldn't make them go away without things becoming obvious, or being extremely rude. He'd sat there, insides churning, as their friends had persuaded them into going to the movies and hanging out fairly late. By the time they'd gotten home they'd both been tired and decided to just head to bed (which was how he found himself lying here wide awake pondering a new way to ask Beth to marry him.) He let out a sigh, he'd figure something out.

Daryl smiled to himself as he watched Beth pop out of the car. She had no idea what was coming for their day out in Atlanta. He had it all planned (thanks to some help from Hershel and Rosita.) He was going to take her to some museum she'd been gushing about for the past couple weeks, then a nice dinner, and he planned on finishing off the evening with a play that was being held on campus at her school (she'd actually mentioned wanting to go see that as well, but hadn't really pushed for it.) Today was a day filled with things that would make her the center of attention. That was what he wanted. He wanted to make her feel special, and give her a day where she got to do anything her heart desired. He'd grin and bear a day at the museum just to see her smile.

She grinned brightly and took his hand as they walked up the the ticket counter and paid for admission. Once inside, Beth was like a little bundle of activity. She flitted around from one exhibit to the next, back across the room to another, only to wind up looking at the first one all over again. She was so enthralled with everything, pointing out her favorite pieces, sharing interesting little facts about this or that, that she didn't notice that his attention never left her. Daryl would spend all day every day in a museum if he could just watch the excitement and joy that spread across her face with each new discovery. That made the whole thing worth it by itself.

They spent hours walking around, looking at everything only to turn around and look at everything again. If Daryl was completely honest with himself, he could admit that he enjoyed himself during his day at the museum. Maybe not as much as Beth, but he'd be lying if he said he'd hated being there and learning even just a little. As the hours winded down, Daryl felt Beth's hand creep into his own. "You ready to go to dinner?" He rumbled as he leaned down and kissed the side of her head.

"Yeah." She said hesitantly, and it made Daryl pause.

"You ok?"

"I'm just…" He watched as her cheeks tinted pink. "My stomach hasn't been feeling so good. But I'll be fine." She gave him a weak smile. "Let's go have some dinner." Daryl narrowed his eyes but didn't argue with her as they walked back to their car. Daryl had a sinking feeling in his gut, but for now he was going to try to ignore it. The restaurant wasn't far, but the way the city was laid out and the traffic, it would take them a few minutes to get there. By the time they found their way onto the highway, Beth looked practically green.

"Beth, you ain't lookin' too good." He watched as she just shook her head, keeping her mouth closed tightly. "You sure you wanna go to dinner? We can just head home." He offered and felt his gut sink a little more. She shook her head, but sat ramrod straight in her seat.

"Pull over." She said quickly.

"What?"

"Pull over, Daryl, pull over." Her voice turned frantic. He gave her a nod and pulled onto the shoulder. The car didn't even come to a complete stop before Beth was yanking on the door handle and scrambling away from the road. As he slammed into park and readied to open his door and go find out what the hell was going on he heard it. The unmistakable sound of someone getting sick. He closed his eyes, momentarily floating in his sea of self-pity as another perfect opportunity passed him by, before he took a deep breath and swallowed those feelings. Beth was sick, and she needed him right now. He could feel sorry for himself later, right now he needed to be there for her. He jumped out of the car and made his way quickly to her side. "I'm sorry, Daryl." She whined from her place in the middle of the grass on the side of the road. "I'm so sorry. I know you had this all planned out, and when I woke up feeling bad I just couldn't say anything. I thought I could ignore it because it wasn't so bad, but…" She trailed off.

"Hush now Beth. If you didn't feel good when you woke up, y'shoulda told me. We woulda done this stuff another day." He rubbed her back gently. "Come on, let's get you home so you can get into bed and rest." She offered him a weak smile but nodded and followed him to the car. Their drive back was quiet; for the most part Beth slept. Daryl watched her every now again as she slept. Even when she was sick she was still so beautiful. Daryl couldn't wait to see what she might look like on their wedding day, that was if he could ever ask the damn question. Beth's voice pulled him from his thoughts as they neared the highway exit for home.

"Are you mad?" Her tired voice floated to his ears across the small space of the car.

"Because you're sick?" He saw her nod out of the corner of his eye. "Hell, Beth. It ain't like you chose to get sick. It just happens Babygirl. I meant what I said, we can go out there anytime and have our fun, you ain't gotta put up with feelin' miserable." His eyes darted over to her quickly while he was driving.

"Thank you, Daryl."

"Y'ain't gotta thank me, Babygirl." He said quietly as her hand slid into his free one. He gave her hand a light squeeze. "Go on and rest, I'll wake you up when we get home." She let out an agreeing sound, and was asleep within seconds.

It was dark by the time Daryl parked outside their apartment building. He looked over at Beth, still sleeping, and tried valiantly to think of a way to get her into the apartment without waking her, but knew it wasn't going to happen. "Beth, Beth. Y'gotta wake up now." She let out a drowsy sigh before blinking her eyes open and giving him a wobbly nod. He watched as she fumbled with her belt before she tiredly glared down at the offending contraption. He smiled softly. "Wait right there." He was out and around the car in the blink of an eye, helping her get her belt undone. He helped her wobble her way up the stairs, half asleep, before helping her into bed and sliding in next to her. He felt her curl into his side and wrapped an arm around her before falling asleep himself.

Beth woke bright and early, feeling right as rain. Guilt swept through her as she snuggled into the warm chest below her. Daryl had worked so hard to give her one final fun day before she started classes again, and she had blown it all by getting sick. And what made it worse was it appeared to be some stupid stomach bug that came and went in twenty four hours. She wanted to make it up to him, and knew exactly how to do that. Daryl wasn't a man of luxury, but she knew making pancakes and giving him breakfast in bed was a secret pleasure he enjoyed more than he ever let on. If she ever wanted to make the man feel special, she'd whip up a batch of blueberry pancakes before he was awake and bring it to him while he was still wrapped up in their sheets and blankets. Decision made, Beth quietly snuck out of bed, changing into one of Daryl's overly large shirts, and made her way to the kitchen.

She was on her way to the fridge when she spotted Bandit curled up on one of her sweatshirts on the couch which prompted her to make a detour to his bowl and put some food in his dish. When she spotted her little masked friend slinking across the floor towards her she reached, petted him gently before turning and finishing her mission into the kitchen. She had all her ingredients out and batter made before she heard something moving around behind her. A quick glance over her shoulder told her Daryl was up and moving around. "You shouldn't be out of bed yet." She teased, eyes on the pan getting hot over the flame. "Was going to surprise you with pancakes in bed." She felt his arms slide around her waist in a gentle hug before his hands came up in front of her. "What?"

Daryl stood behind her, chin resting gently on her shoulder, arms around her while his hands held up the delicate velvet box. She blinked once before she watched as Daryl opened the box to reveal the beautiful ring inside. "I wanted to do this yesterday…" He started but trailed off, thinking he might make her feel worse about getting sick on their special day. "But I can't think of a better way, than to do it right here, right now. I ain't really good at this...and I don't always have the right words to tell you, but I try to always show you." She felt his heart hammering against her back and knew he must be feeling an awful lot right at that moment. "If you let me, I'd like to spend the rest of my life showin' ya exactly how special y'are, Beth." She held her breath. "Will...will you marry me?" The words rung in her ears for a heartbeat before she slowly set down the spatula in her hand, gently turned in his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck. Her lips met his as she pressed herself as close to him as she could. Her heart was bursting, and she felt giddy and dizzy. Happiness like she'd never imagined flooded her and she looked up to Daryl. Her big glorious smile faltered a mite as she noticed the pained worry etched on his face. Her fingertips came up to trace the curves of his cheek.

"Oh, Daryl." She breathed before kissing him again. "Of course, I will marry you." She felt him crush her to his chest as he kissed her desperately. Like she'd just lifted the biggest weight off of his shoulders. They parted briefly, just long enough for him to slide the delicate ring on her finger, before grasping on to each other tightly once more.

"M sorry this wasn't all planned out and special." He rumbled near her ear.

"What are you talkin' about Daryl Dixon." She looked up at him and grinned. "You said it perfectly. Couldn't have been a better way than right here, right now. Just the two of us, in our home, just before we share our favorite breakfast. A special moment, just for us. Ain't another way I'd have ever wanted it to happen." He gave her a half grin before kissing her again.

"I'm glad. I meant it Beth. You are special, and I wanna spend the rest of my life showin' that to you everyday."

"You already do, Daryl." She said softly. "You already do."


	35. Chapter 35

Beth lightly traced her fingers down the lace details at the top of her white wedding dress. She still couldn't believe the day had finally come. She didn't think it would ever get here. She was marrying Daryl Dixon.

Life this past year (and a couple months) had been a crazy whirlwind of activity. Maggie had gotten married, and then a few months later announced they were expecting a baby to join the family, and Beth and Daryl were busily planning their wedding. Since Beth was trying to go back to school, and they both knew money was a little tight, they'd planned a small intimate wedding on the farm. Hershel had insisted that money was not a problem, but they'd stuck to their original plans of only family and close friends.

Beth was determined to do as much as she could herself. She'd started with the reception, which was how she'd found herself scouring thrift shops and secondhand stores for any and all dining room chairs she could find. She'd managed to round up fifty chairs and five hearty farmhouse dining tables (the long rectangle ones that took four people to life because it was made from solid wood) for a grand total of six hundred dollars. Her daddy had let her store everything in the barn, which had helped her since she didn't need to find storage for everything until the big day. She'd also set about collecting a wide array of mismatched plates and bowls for the place settings. Even that had been surprisingly inexpensive. Her proudest moment was when she'd managed to get a set of eight bowls for ten cents a piece. (She was pretty sure the shop owner had figured out what she was doing and had given her a deep discount on the items.)

 _It took her six months before she broke down and even thought about a dress. She'd gone and tried some dresses on, but knew in her heart of hearts she couldn't bear to spend so much money on a dress she knew logically she'd only wear once. She was sitting on the floor in the farmhouse living room, looking for addresses of discount dress shops when Hershel delicately entered the room carrying a long slim white box. He'd set the box down on the sofa before calling Beth over to look at what was concealed inside. The moment Hershel had opened the lid of the box, Beth's eyes had filled with tears._

 _"Mama's wedding dress?" She croaked through the lump in her throat._

 _"Yes. I know it's a little old, but I also know it would have made your mama very proud to have you wear it on your special day." Hershel said through a lump of his own. Beth's hand delicately slid over the old ivory lace. "I'm sure you can fix it to be more like what you've been lookin' at." Beth gave him a small nod. "Whatever you decide, Bethy. You'll be beautiful no matter what."_

 _"Oh daddy, thank you." She threw her arms around him and gave him a tight hug._

It had taken her a couple months, a visit to a good seamstress she trusted, and a strong dose of liquid courage before she'd decided to alter her mama's dress. Looking at it now, she couldn't be happier with how it came out. It had been a frilly bundle of layers of lace that Beth had been able to use to make part of her veil. The seamstress had stripped away all the layers of lace from the gown and started with creating the lining and shape of the dress first. They'd settled on a delicate sheath dress, something light that would compliment the weather (they were having an early fall wedding and it would most likely still be quite warm out) and her figure all at once. Once they'd gotten the shape just right, the seamstress had taken the pieces of lace and laid them over the lining. The look was the perfect blend of vintage and modern and it still made Beth giddy just to look at the thing.

She heard the door creak and turned to see Maggie (rounding belly just starting to show) enter the room. "You just about ready, Bethy?" Maggie asked a smile on her face. Beth nodded and looked around.

"Yeah. I just, I can't believe I'm here."

"What? On the farm?" Maggie asked looking concerned.

"No. I can't believe I'm getting married." Beth replied with a giggle in her voice. She moved around the room, her old bedroom to be exact, and sat on the small twin bed against the wall. "I just, never really thought about getting married. You know? I always knew we'd be together forever, but marriage never really seriously crossed my mind. But now that it's here, and everything is happening...I couldn't picture it any other way." Beth confided. Maggie came and sat next to her, slinging an arm around her shoulders.

"I'm so happy for you Beth. I know you and Daryl haven't always had it easy, but you two," Maggie paused as if searching for words. "You two just work, and I know you both are fighters and you're strong. You two aren't going to let anything come in between you." Beth smiled. "I know you love him and he loves you too. Enjoy your day. You two have worked hard to get here. Enjoy it." She kissed Beth's temple. "Now come on. We need to get you into your dress so the photographer can come up and start snapping some pictures." Beth grinned and nodded. Maggie stood and followed her over to where her dress was hanging up. "You done good, girl. This dress is amazing." Maggie stroked the dress lightly. "I couldn't picture you getting married in anything else." Beth made an agreeing hum from the back of her throat and watched as Maggie unhooked the dress from its hanger. Gently she lifted it over Beth's head, making sure nothing caught on her hair and mussed her updo, and let the silky and lace fabric slide down to the ground.

Beth let her hands slide over the fabric as Maggie set about buttoning up the back of her dress. This was real. This was happening. The butterflies in her stomach were fluttering wildly, and Beth reveled in the feeling. She heard a knock at the door and turned to see Rosita and Tara enter the room. Both girls gushed and gasped as they examined Beth in her dress. "Beth you look amazing!" Rosita said, a big grin on her face.

"All you need is your veil." Tara said as she swept up the veil trimmed in the same lace as Beth's dress. Delicately all three women worked to clip the veil into the hair at the back of her head. The veil fell beautifully around Beth's shoulders and down to her fingertips. The group took a moment to admire the completed picture before Maggie silently handed Beth her bouquet of sunflowers and forget-me-nots.

"You ready?" Maggie whispered as she hugged Beth tightly. Beth nodded vigorously. "I think Daddy is waitin' downstairs."

"Well, come on then. Let's go down." Beth grinned. "I wanna get married."

~~~  
Daryl stood outside, in the shade of the trees that surrounded the spot he and Beth had decided to have the ceremony. He was a wreck. His emotions kept catapulting from one extreme to the other as the time neared for him to begin his nuptials. He went from being elated and excited and completely flabbergasted that he was marrying Beth Greene, to scared and insecure that he wouldn't be a good husband, or _maybe she'd changed her mind?_ Before he realized it he'd worked himself into a cold sweat. Merle approached him, shirt untucked and doing his best to look every inch the rebel that didn't belong. Daryl had asked his big brother to be in the wedding, and Merle had agreed, albeit begrudgingly. Dixon men didn't do this soft stuff, but since Daryl was his only baby brother, he'd figured it couldn't really hurt anyone. "You ready for this, Daryl?"

"Yeah, just wish it wasn't takin' so long." Abe gave a snort from behind him.

"Ain't takin' too long, you're just anxious." Abe supplied. "Before you know it you'll be hitched and sippin' moonshine on your honeymoon." He grinned. Daryl gave a snort.

"I just…" Daryl looked a bit sheepish. "What if she's changed her mind?"

"Baby brother, she spent a year plannin' this shindig, she ain't gonna skip out on it, even if she does end up married to your sorry self." Merle teased. Abe elbowed him lightly, seeing the stricken look on Daryl's face.

"Man, she loves you." Abe said quietly. "She ain't gonna skip out on you." He clapped him on the shoulder. "Now stop scarin' yourself, or she's gonna march down here and rain hell on all of us for lettin' you get yourself all tied in knots." Daryl tried to smile. He looked out at the crowd that was gathering. It was more people than he'd wanted, but she'd had family and friends that couldn't not be invited. Rick was there, with Carl (who surprisingly enough had managed to move on and find himself a girlfriend rather than pine after Beth), Carl's girlfriend Enid, Sasha was there, Tyreese was there, Glenn was there (obviously), some other friends of Hershel that Daryl didn't really recognize, and some friends of Beth's from school. There were a few more that were on their way across the field to where the ceremony was set up, but for the most part, everyone was there. Hershel was inside, making sure Beth didn't climb out a window, and Rosita, Tara, and Maggie were inside making sure Beth looked perfect (she always looked perfect to him.) Any minute she'd come out that door and walk down the aisle to become his wife, and he was impatient for that to happen.

Daryl smoothed his hands down the white long sleeve button up shirt he was wearing. When it had come down to figuring out what she was going to wear, that was a no-brainer. His outfit on the other hand had proved a smidge more complicated.

Beth had known he wasn't a tuxedo kind of person. He'd feel awkward and stiff if he had to wear a tux, but he'd decided he'd wear whatever she wanted him to for their special day. (Beth was very firm in making sure he knew it was their special day, not just hers.) He'd come home from work early one day and spotted the simple dark grey slacks lying in the bed with a new crisp white long sleeve button up folded next to it and a slim dark blue tie on top of it. His tired mind had been slow to comprehend until she'd come into the bedroom shyly, practically whispering her question asking if this was too stiff for him to wear for their day. He'd wrapped her in a hug, kissed her temple, and said that he'd wear whatever she wanted him to regardless of if it was 'too stiff'.

He'd felt awkward when he'd been dressed up, and Beth could tell. She'd wrinkled her nose before quickly undoing the buttons at his cuff and rolling the sleeves up to his elbows. He'd relaxed almost instantly, and Beth had declared that this was the outfit. It had sat hung in their closet until this morning when he'd donned it in anticipation of the big day. His friends (and Merle) who were in the wedding wore something similar, except they had pale yellow ties.

Daryl checked to make sure his shirt was tucked in, before jerking when he heard Father Gabriel announce that the ceremony was about to begin and for the guests to please take their seats. Soft music started playing that Daryl recognized as the music that the girls were going to walk down to, and Daryl's heart thumped into overdrive. He watched as the screen door to the farm house swung open and Tara walked out, pale yellow sundress floating lightly in the late fall breeze. Rosita was next to come out, clutching her small bouquet of sunflowers and forget-me-nots. Maggie was last to make her way down the aisle, and Daryl couldn't miss the smile and wink she sent to her husband sitting in the chairs. One of her hands gently touched her slightly rounding belly before she turned and took her place at the front, opposite Daryl and his men.

Daryl held his breath as the screen door opened again and Hershel walked out followed by Beth. She looked like an angel. Her golden hair was swept up onto her head like a halo and the sunlight shone off her dress and hair making her appear to glow. She was absolutely radiant and beaming right at him as her daddy walked her down the aisle. They paused and Beth stared into Daryl's eyes before he stepped forward and shook Hershel's hand. Hershel pulled him in close, whispering lightly, "I know you will, but take care of my little girl." Daryl gave him a nod before Hershel place Beth's hand in his. "I love you sweetpea." Hershel whispered before kissing her temple gently.

"I love you too Daddy." She whispered back. Her eyes darted to Daryl and he could tell for the first time that they were filled with happy tears. She followed him to their places and just watched him while Father Gabriel talked. This was the beginning of the rest of their lives. This was the beginning of their 'happily ever after.' And she smiled, marveling to think they wouldn't be here if it hadn't been because of a little moonshine, some mistakes, and the morning after.


End file.
